Ibram X. Kendi, the founder and director of Boston University's Center for Antiracist Research, is leaving the school to join another university, and the center he established will shut down later this year, Boston University announced this week.
Kendi first joined the college in 2020, having previously taught at American University in Washington, D.C., and soon after, launched the CAR, which will close on June 30 and whose 12 staff members will transition to other roles in the school after Kendi departs.
The Boston Globe reports that Kendi will join Howard University, a historically Black school in Washington, D.C., and head a new research institute focused on researching race, technology, and climate change, among other issues.
During his time at the school, the center worked to improve its COVID-19 Racial Data Tracker, established an Antiracist Tech Initiative, and created the digital magazine "The Emancipator."
In 2023, Boston University launched an inquiry into the "center's culture and grant management practices," according to a school spokesperson, after BU "received complaints from individuals questioning whether the center was following its funding guidelines." An audit determined that there were "no issues" or "concerns with finances" at the center.
"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.
"We thank Dr. Kendi and the center's staff and affiliated faculty for their contributions to Boston University. The University wishes Dr. Kendi well in his next chapter," Gloria Waters, University provost and chief academic officer, said in a statement.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.