Activist author Ibram X. Kendi is leaving Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research, which will close in June.
Kendi was hired by BU to open the center in 2020 following George Floyd’s killing at the hands of police. He gained renown with his book, How to Be an Antiracist.
“Despite all the headwinds we faced as a new organization founded during the pandemic and the intense backlash over critical race theory, I am very proud of all we envisioned, all we created, all we learned, all we achieved—the community we built, the people we helped and inspired,” Kendi said in a statement. “To all the faculty, staff, administrators, students, supporters, and Boston community members, I feel honored to have been able to do this work with you over the last five years. I am departing for an opportunity I could not pass up, but what connected us at CAR remains, especially during this precarious time. Our commitment to building an equitable and just society.”
Kendi will join Howard University as the director of its new Institute for Advanced Study. The college said, “The institute will be dedicated to interdisciplinary study advancing research of importance to the global African Diaspora, including inquiry to race, technology, racism, climate change, and disparities.”
A Boston University spokesperson told the Washington Examiner that the center is closing because its charter expires on June 30. “We thank Dr. Kendi and the Center’s staff and affiliated faculty for their contributions in advancing scholarship, teaching, and policymaking,” they said. “The University wishes Dr. Kendi well on his next chapter.”
Kendi said President Donald Trump “embodies nearly every aspect of a racist” in 2019 during his first presidency.
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“He says, ‘No, no, I’m not racist. I’m actually the least racist person you’ve ever interviewed. I’m actually the least racist person in the world.’ And so his consistent denial of his racism is the heartbeat of racism,” Kendi said.
The Trump administration has axed DEI departments within the government, and several colleges have closed their DEI programs for fear their federal funding will be lost.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
