2020 Howard Zinn Memorial Lecture: Ibram X. Kendi

Banner with Boston Univ. logo, potrait of man, and event details
On Dec. 7, the 2020 Howard Zinn Memorial Lecture featured Ibram X. Kendi in conversation with Nina Silber. In his opening remarks, Kendi stated:

Well, first, let me just say that I’m just truly honored that I was selected to be a part of this memorial event. For of course, Howard Zinn, who I just certainly admire, and really learned tremendously from him in terms of how to be an engaged and active scholar, and even somebody who can — speaking about your question — who could potentially write a big book, a big sweeping history, that really contextualizes events from the perspectives of everyday people. And so I’m just sort of honored to be a part of this event. And indeed, Howard Zinn is one of the reasons why I decided to come to BU, in and of itself, to be able to walk on the same campus, and think in the same places that he did and to activate people in the way he did.

Kendi is the founding director of BU’s Center for Antiracist Research and the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University. A professor, anti-racist activist, and historian of race and discriminatory policy, Kendi is also the author of the National Book Award winning Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America and New York Times bestselling How to Be an Antiracist.

The Howard Zinn Memorial Lecture Series was created in 2008 by former Zinn student Alex H. MacDonald (CAS’72) and his wife Dr. Maureen A. Strafford (MED’76). Read more about Zinn’s impact on students in the Our Favorite Teacher series and consider adding your story.

Read, Learn, & Make History
Check out the Howard Zinn Digital Collection to search Zinn’s bibliography by books, articles, audio, video, and more.
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