Professor Ibram X. Kendi to highlight Community Engagement Day

Ibram X. Kendi, bestselling author and anti-racist advocate, will give a virtual presentation titled “In Conversation with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi - Becoming an Antiracist, Multicultural Community” at 2:30 p.m. (note time change) Friday, Oct. 23.

His presentation comes on Community Engagement Day at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University following the completion of Block B.

The virtual presentation is free, but tickets are required through the Fine Arts Programming Box Office. Kendi’s presentation is sponsored by the CSB and SJU Student Senates.

Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University, and the founding director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News correspondent. Kendi is the 2020-21 Frances B. Cashin Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

He is the author of many books including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, and three #1 New York Times bestsellers, “How to Be an Antiracist;” “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You,” co-authored with Jason Reynolds; and “Antiracist Baby,” illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky. His newest book, “Be Antiracist: A Journal for Awareness, Reflection, and Action,” was released on Oct. 6.

“Ibram X. Kendi said, ‘Being an anti-racist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism and regular self-examination.’ That is what this day should be about,” said Sade Larson, CSB Student Senate president. “We are excited to host Professor Kendi to teach us all what the act of truly self-reflection looks like and what it means to become an anti-racist community. We are excited to take what we learn and use it to promote, encourage and create our own and meaningful definition of the word community, for not only the institutions, but also the wider community that surrounds us.”

“The Senates’ goal with hosting Professor Kendi is to provide a chance for conversation on becoming an anti-racist, multicultural community,” said Joseph Schwamm, SJU Student Senate president. “His work seeks to create practical ways to confront issues of racial inequality, and thus we are excited to both converse with and learn from him; the entire CSB/SJU community can strongly benefit from his expertise.”

The event is presented in partnership with Fine Arts Programming and Student Development.

The CSB and SJU Student Senates are also sponsoring an in-person viewing party in classrooms on both campuses. If you would like to participate in the in-person viewing and discussion opportunities, please register here.