Ibram X. Kendi is joining Howard University to start a new institute
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Ibram X. Kendi at American University. Photo: Michael A. McCoy/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
Historian and writer Ibram X. Kendi is returning to D.C., joining Howard University as director of a new institute researching the global African diaspora.
Why it matters: It's a homecoming for Kendi, who published his international bestseller "How to Be an Antiracist" during a three-year stint at American University.
Driving the news: Kendi will lead Howard University's Institute for Advanced Study, tackling issues related to racial disparities and racism in areas like technology and climate change.
- He is leaving Boston University, where he founded the Center for Antiracist Research during the racial justice protests in 2020. The center, which raised at least $55 million over several years, is closing in June, when its five-year charter expires.
What they're saying: "When you think about the Black scholars and Black thinkers who have contributed so much to my way of thinking, it's hard to not think about Howard," Kendi told the Washington Post. "It's the most fulfilling career choice I've ever made."
The big picture: Kendi is joining the "Mecca of Black Education" at a time of growth. It is aiming to be in the top tier of research schools and has received generous donations, including $175 million from Mike Bloomberg's philanthropy.
- The writers Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nehisi Coates have joined in recent years.
Flashback: Kendi and his BU center faced criticism in 2023 after he announced layoffs for 19 employees, which he called part of a new strategy to keep the center sustainable long term.
- Kendi told Axios at the time that the layoffs "devastated" him.
- During his Boston tenure, staff sometimes clashed with Kendi's leadership style, the New York Times Magazine reported last year. Kendi defended himself as "open to constructive criticism as a writer and a thinker and a leader."
- After allegations of financial mismanagement, a university audit found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Coming to Howard with Kendi is The Emancipator — an online newsroom inspired by a 19th-century abolitionist newspaper, co-founded with the Boston Globe.
- The new institute will also run a fellowship program.