Ibram X. Kendi

Ibram Xolani Kendi is a prominent American author, professor, and historian. He focuses his research on race and discriminatory policy in the United States. Kendi is also an antiracist activist. This means he works to challenge systems that create inequality. His work often examines how laws and institutional practices affect different racial groups. He has become one of the most sought-after commentators on racism in the country.

Kendi was born Ibram Henry Rogers on August 13, 1982. He grew up in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York. His parents, Carol and Larry Rogers, were deeply religious. They were both influenced by black liberation theology. His father worked as a tax accountant and a hospital chaplain. His mother worked as a business analyst for a health-care organization. Both parents later became Methodist ministers. Kendi moved to Manassas, Virginia, when he was 15 years old. He graduated from high school in 2000.

His academic journey began at Florida A&M University. He earned dual B.S. degrees in African American studies and magazine production in 2005. At first, he intended to work in sports journalism. He completed internships at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Mobile Register. However, his interests shifted toward African American studies during his undergraduate years. He later attended Temple University. He earned an M.A. in 2007 and a Ph.D. in 2010. His doctoral dissertation focused on the Black Campus Movement from 1965 to 1972. This research looked at the struggle to diversify higher education.

Kendi has held many teaching positions at various universities. He taught at State University of New York at Oneonta and the University at Albany. He also served as a visiting scholar at Brown University. Later, he was an assistant professor at the University of Florida. In 2017, he joined the faculty at American University in Washington, D.C. There, he became a professor of history and international relations. He also founded the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at that institution.

In 2020, Kendi moved to Boston University. He became the founding director of the Center for Antiracist Research. This center operated under a five-year charter. It received significant financial support, including a $10 million donation from Jack Dorsey. Over three years, the center received $43 million in total grants and gifts. The center's Racial Data Lab tracked the COVID-19 pandemic. It found that Black Americans died at 1.4 times the rate of White Americans early in the pandemic. The center also launched a news website called The Emancipator.

Kendi is a highly successful author of fifteen books. His book, Stamped from the Beginning, won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2016. He was the youngest author to ever receive this honor. This book explores the history of racist ideas in America. Another major work is How to Be an Antiracist, published in 2019. In this book, Kendi develops a specific theory of racism. He argues that racism is defined by policy outcomes rather than individual intent. He suggests that racism is a set of structural conditions. These conditions are maintained through law and public policy.

His career has faced challenges and scrutiny. In 2023, Kendi announced mass layoffs at the Boston University center. This led to an inquiry by the university regarding management culture. Some professors raised concerns about how the center was being managed. However, a university audit found no issues with how finances were handled. The audit showed that expenditures were appropriately charged to grant accounts. In January 2025, Kendi's charter with Boston University was not renewed. He will now join Howard University. He will lead the new Institute for Advanced Study to research the African diaspora.