Howard University is preparing to launch a new academic center led by Ibram X. Kendi, only months after his heavily funded project at Boston University shut down. The new institute is expected to open this month, according to university officials and media reports. The move has renewed debate over ideology, accountability, and priorities in higher education.
Kendi joined Howard University in August 2024 as a history professor and director of the Institute for Advanced Study. Howard has stated the institute will focus on interdisciplinary research related to the global African diaspora. Proposed areas of study include race, public policy, and climate issues, though the university has released few operational details.
The announcement follows the closure of Kendi’s former Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University. Founded in 2020, the center received tens of millions of dollars from donors and foundations. Despite the funding, reporting showed limited peer-reviewed research output, internal staffing issues, and layoffs beginning in 2023.
Boston University confirmed the center will formally close as its charter expires. The university stated internal reviews found no legal wrongdoing. Even so, critics questioned how such a well-funded initiative produced so little traditional academic research.
Kendi’s ideological framework has been widely promoted in academic and corporate settings, but it has also faced sustained criticism from conservatives.
Howard University officials have presented the new institute as a reset. As of early January, however, the institute’s public footprint remains minimal, consisting largely of a fundraising page. A full website, faculty list, and research agenda have not yet been published.
Kendi is also moving The Emancipator from Boston University to Howard, where it will operate alongside the new institute. As the launch approaches, questions remain about transparency, funding, and whether this new effort will deliver measurable academic results.
