The results of the audit represented a partial vindication for Ibram Kendi, who faced criticism of his management as well as unfounded accusations of financial malfeasance in the weeks after he laid off more than half of his center’s staff.
In an interview, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi said that the recent turmoil surrounding the Center for Antiracist Research he launched at Boston University should be understood as the growing pains of a young, fast-moving organization still finding its footing while facing strong headwinds.
Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research, headed by critical race theory activist Ibram X. Kendi, revealed last week that it was laying off about 40% of its staff as part of organization restructuring. About 15 to 20 of its approximately 45 employees were let go. Testimonies from former employees have exposed alleged mismanagement of Kendi’s center, which in turn has exposed the fraudulence and fragility of the diversity, equity, and inclusion complex.
The embattled head of Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research, said Friday that he did not lay off half his staff and restructure the organization “out of financial distress” but to support the center’s long-term mission.