I think there are two factors in here that may be useful to add to the discussion. One is that the author, Sam Kriss, is not responsible for the title. Responsibility there lies entirely with WIRED. You will see if you visit his own website that he uses a much blander title: “Tyson: pedantry in space.” https://samkriss.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/neil-degrasse-tyson-pedantry-in-space/. As a news organization, they can and should hold their editorial staff to a higher standard.

Perhaps more relevant to your main points, however, I think it’s important to realise that the author is British. The style of his writing is in character with that of numerous Brits I came to know during the many years I lived in the UK. Make no mistake, the author is incredibly critical — but I believe it’s fair to say that the over-the-top criticism is likely meant as a literary device — pushing the envelop to make an argument in a style familiar to a British audience. That tonal difference can get easily lost in translation when crossing the Atlantic, as can the implications of racial awareness an ocean away. The issues the UK faces around race are distinctly different, and I don’t believe that we can hold the author entirely responsible for having to understand the implications of what is a very complex, deeply personal, and undeniably American set of circumstances.

On a more personal note, I very much appreciated your anecdotes about your interactions with Neil deGrasse Tyson. I have consistently encountered similar stories about Tyson, and I think it’s wonderful to hear more about the kind of learning and strength that he has inspired. The best response to a negative critique of a person, in my opinion, is always to show just how valued that person is. For my own part, I thoroughly enjoyed Cosmos, and am immensely grateful that scientists like Tyson exist.