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Ibram X. Kendi, a historian, author and MacArthur fellow, will speak at Huston-Tillotson University on Friday September 25th, giving students and members of the Austin community an opportunity to hear from a nationally recognized scholar whose work focuses on race, racism and American history.
His visit comes at a time when questions at the center of his work – race, belonging, democracy, and racist theories, such as the so-called great replacement theory – are unfolding across Texas.
Texas Railroad Commission candidate Bo French, the Republican nominee for the seat on the agency that regulates oil and gas production, set off a political firestorm this month after posting a photo of University of Texas students – many of them South Asian – celebrating their school’s football victory. French pointed to the photo as evidence that Americans were being “displaced by foreigners,’’ echoing the racist great replacement conspiracy theory.
Kendi comes to HT as part of the Austin Free Press and Huston-Tillotson Enterprise Journalism Project. The event, which is not open to the public, aims to give students and invited guests the opportunity to hear Kendi speak about his journey as an author and his latest book, “Chain of Ideas.”
According to Dr. Shawanda Stewart, chair of HT’s English and Communication department, Kendi was already planning to be in Austin for the Texas Tribune Festival when Austin Free Press Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief Alberta Phillips reached out to him about visiting HT.
“Dr. Kendi is a graduate of FAMU (Florida A&M University), an HBCU, so he understands the value of what HBCUs do in educating students of color,” Phillips said.
Stewart said Kendi’s work became especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter movement and the protests following George Floyd’s death. Stewart also sees Kendi’s visit as an opportunity for students to learn more about antiracism and how race and racism have affected society.
“Dr. Kendi’s visit can give students an opportunity to engage with topics they may not have previously known about or considered,” Stewart said. “HT is very fortunate to have him in person to speak about his book and other affairs. We’re all looking forward to it.”
The National Book Award-winning author began his academic journey in 2004 after graduating from Florida A&M University with degrees in journalism and African American studies. He continued his education at Temple University, where he earned his master’s and PhD degrees in African American studies. After publishing “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” in 2016, he went on to win the National Book Award for nonfiction at age 34. The book examined the history of racist ideas in America and helped establish Kendi as a widely recognized historian and author.
Following that success, Kendi published his third book, “How to Be an Antiracist” in 2019, and received a Guggenheim Fellowship that same year. In 2021, he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, commonly known as the “Genius Grant,” for his work addressing race, identity, and racial challenges in America. His work has continued to focus on the history of racism and its effects on society. Kendi now serves as a Professor of History at Howard University, where he is also the Carter G. Woodson Endowed Chair in History and the director of the Howard University Institute for Advanced Study.
Kendi’s newest book, “Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age,” looks at the history of what is known as the “great replacement theory” and how the idea has spread across different countries and political movements. This book traces how the theory has been used to create fear around demographic changes and the idea that certain groups are being replaced or threatened.
Kendi connects these ideas to the rise of authoritarian politics and examines how the theory has appeared in countries including the United States, Russia, Brazil, Italy and India. Published in March 2026, the book uses history and research to examine how these ideas developed and how they continue to influence political conversations today.
During an interview at the New Orleans Book Festival, Kendi explained that one of his goals with “Chain of Ideas” was to look beyond the history of the great replacement theory and examine the individual ideas that helped create it.
“So what I try to do is show not only the history of great replacement theory but even the history of each of these individual ideas that form an element that are elements of great replacement theory.”
Kendi also said he did not originally plan to write a book specifically about great replacement theory. Instead, his research eventually led him to the topic as he continued looking into the questions behind the book.
“So when I set out to write this book, I did not know that I was writing a book on great replacement theory.”
Through his research and writing, Kendi said he gained a clearer understanding of the ideas he was studying. He said that understanding also gave him a sense of hope that he did not have before writing the book.
“For me actually researching and writing this book and gaining a sense of clarity on the playbook literally that’s being used on us gave me a sense of hope that I didn’t have before I set out to write this book.”
Kayla R. Jones is a senior, who is majoring in communications, at Huston-Tillotson University. She reports for the Austin Free Press Huston-Tillotson Enterprise Journalism Project.