Ibram X. Kendi built an academic career in African American history, earning his PhD from Temple University before beginning a career researching and writing about the history of racist ideas in America.
In 2016, Kendi published Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, winning the National Book Award for Nonfiction, an ambitious historical account tracing racist ideology from its origins to the present.
In 2019, Kendi published How to Be an Antiracist, a book combining memoir, history and theory that became one of the most widely read and discussed books on race published in the past decade, reaching a mainstream readership well beyond academic circles.
Kendi founded the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, and has continued to build an influential body of scholarly and popular work examining the history and structures of racism in America, becoming one of the most prominent contemporary voices on the subject.
- Won the National Book Award for Nonfiction for Stamped from the Beginning (2016)
- Authored How to Be an Antiracist (2019), one of the most widely read books on race of its era
- Founded the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University
- Built an influential body of scholarly and popular work on the history of racism in America
- Became one of the most prominent contemporary public voices on race and antiracism
- Rigorous historical scholarship can reach a mass popular audience. His combination of academic research with accessible writing built an exceptionally wide readership.
- A clear conceptual framework can reshape public discourse. His antiracist/racist framing became a widely adopted lens for discussing racism.
- Institution-building extends an individual scholar's influence. His Center for Antiracist Research institutionalised his research agenda beyond his own writing.
- Major literary recognition can validate and amplify scholarly work. His National Book Award significantly expanded Stamped from the Beginning's reach and influence.