In 2020, Ibram X. Kendi’s Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University (BU) raised $55 million, according to The Boston Globe. Less than five years later, the center is shutting down amid financial scrutiny, and Kendi is beginning a new chapter at Howard.
The 42-year-old scholar will join Howard as a professor of history and the founding director of the Howard Institute for Advanced Studies. His appointment brings another prominent voice to the university’s faculty but also draws attention to his time at BU, the long-term viability of his work and how Howard will navigate the controversy surrounding his scholarship.
“I’ve long had my eye on Howard as where I envision being a professor and really spending the better part of my career,” Kendi said in an interview. “It never really worked out – until now.”
The new institute for advanced studies will serve as an interdisciplinary research hub, bringing together scholars from fields such as history, technology, law, climate studies and social justice. It will also house The Emancipator, the digital publication Kendi co-founded. Though still in its early stages, the institute is expected to serve as a major center for research and policy discussions surrounding race and equity.
Howard’s Provost Anthony Wutoh confirmed that talks with Kendi had been ongoing for years and that the university had already been considering an initiative like this.
“We had several conversations about his interest in joining the faculty,” Wutoh said. “We were engaged in discussions about creating an institute, and the timing worked out.”
While Howard has announced the appointment, some logistical details remain unclear. The university has not yet finalized a physical location for the institute, and Wutoh noted that funding will primarily rely on donor contributions, with possible support from various Howard schools.
BU confirmed in an article with BU Today that its Center for Antiracist Research (CAR) will close on June 30, the same day Kendi officially departs. BU officials said the university will continue supporting the center’s remaining staff through the transition, but the closure marks an end to an initiative that once pursued antiracism research in academia.
The center’s end follows a turbulent year. According to the article, in September 2023, BU laid off nearly half of CAR’s staff, citing a shift in strategy for financial sustainability. The move came amid growing concerns over how the center had managed its $55 million in donations, with former employees publicly questioning its structure and leadership.
BU conducted an internal audit and an external workplace culture review – both of which, the university says, found no financial misconduct. However, for critics, the layoffs and restructuring raised broader concerns about transparency and institutional planning.
Kendi defended his leadership, arguing that his work has consistently faced misrepresentation.
“To do racial justice work, particularly in 2025, is to oftentimes be misrepresented,” he said. “People criticize you based on a misrepresentation of you.”
He acknowledged that public scrutiny has shaped his thinking, citing the revised edition of “How to Be an Antiracist,” where he annotated how his ideas have evolved.
“That’s the job of a scholar,” he said. “Just like that’s the job of a student – you constantly grow.”
His Howard appointment also comes against the backdrop of a national political climate where diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts are facing heightened attacks. Conservative lawmakers have increasingly sought to defund DEI programs in higher education.
Wutoh dismissed the idea that Howard specifically seeks out high-profile scholars as a recruitment strategy, emphasizing that the university’s priority is academic excellence.
“It just speaks to the tradition and legacy of excellence we have,” he said.
Kendi, however, is looking ahead. He said he sees Howard’s institute as an opportunity to build something lasting.
“We want to create an intellectual community,” he said. “An institute that is bringing people together, supporting people, elevating people.”
Copy edited by Camiryn Stepteau
