August 16, 2025
After his shaky exit from Boston University, where he founded and led the Center for Antiracist Research, Kendi sees his start at Howard as a homecoming like no other.
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is coming full circle as he returns to Washington, D.C., to begin his tenure at Howard University, reconnecting with his roots in historically Black higher education.
This August marks the start of Kendi’s tenure as a history professor at Howard University and founding director of the Howard Institute for Advanced Study. After his shaky exit from Boston University, where he founded and led the Center for Antiracist Research, the Florida A&M alum sees his start at Howard as a homecoming like no other.
“I remember people kept saying the same thing over and over again: ‘Welcome home,’” Kendi told Diverse Education, while reflecting on the announcement of his move to Howard that was made earlier this year. “It certainly gives me a feeling of peace and joy that I’ve never experienced before when I moved to a new institution.”
Further adding to the full-circle nature of his start at Howard, Kendi had spent six years in talks with the prestigious HBCU, long before the investigation into potential financial mismanagement at Boston University, from which he was later cleared.
“I have been thinking about Howard as a destination institution for a long time,” he shared. “I understood its history. I admired its legacy. I understood what Howard has meant to the history and to the culture.”
The new role reflects the arc of Kendi’s academic and professional journey, beginning with his journalism studies at FAMU and continuing through his graduate work in African American studies at Temple University, an intentional choice he made to deepen his reporting on Black communities.
“I didn’t want to assume because I was Black that I was an expert on Black people,” he said. “So, I needed to really sort of study the Black experience so I could be better able to cover Black people.”
He later authored the acclaimed “Stamped from the Beginning,” which earned the National Book Award and propelled him into national prominence, opening doors to positions at American University and Boston University, where he furthered his work sparked public dialogue on racism in America.
Now, with a well-established career in writing and academia, Kendi is fully aware of the reputation his name carries.
“Because of my name, there’s another layer of expectation that people expect in terms of my management and my presence,” he said.
Kendi steps into the new role fully aware of the difference in resources from his past positions, yet energized by the deeper connection to the community he has devoted his career to serving.
“For me, the community and the support is much more important than resources,” Kendi said. “I want to live a life of both joy and impact. And I feel as if I could have more joy and impact at Howard University.”
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