Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award winner and a leading scholar of racism and discriminatory policy in America, will speak on “How to Be an Antiracist” March 14 at 6 p.m. in Oklahoma State University’s Student Union Theatre. This talk is free and open to the public.

In his talk, Kendi will ask people to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it.

“People are searching for candid direction about how to pour their passion into building an antiracist society,” Kendi said.

His talk at OSU is adapted from his forthcoming book of the same title.

Kendi is a professor of history and international relations and the founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. He is an ideas columnist for "The Atlantic" and a frequent contributor to publications such as "The Washington Post," "The New York Times," "The Guardian," "Diverse: Issues in Higher Education" and "Time."

At 34, Kendi became the youngest person to win the National Book Award for Nonfiction for "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America." Historian Yohuru Williams praised the book as “a highly accessible yet provocative study that seeks to complicate our understanding of racist ideas and the forces that produce them.”

The "New York Times" bestselling author also wrote "The Black Campus Movement: Black Students and the Racial Reconstitution of Higher Education, 1965-1972," a groundbreaking and award-winning work illustrating the impact of African-American student activism on college and university campuses.

This event is sponsored by the Center for Africana Studies; the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Education, Health, and Aviation; the Spears School of Business; the Division of Institutional Diversity; Edmon Low Library; and the Department of History.