"Citizenship is about so much more than just being in a place. It's about being of it — with all the access and privileges pertaining thereto," said Dr. Anthony Abraham Jack, this year’s Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day keynote speaker.
Dr. Jack has dedicated his career to critically examining the barriers that prevent first-generation, low-income, and diverse students from thriving in elite educational institutions. As the inaugural faculty director of the Newbury Center and an associate professor of higher education leadership at Boston University, he brings a unique perspective to these issues. He is the author of The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students, and his writing has appeared in The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Dr. Jack signed copies of his books for members of the Pomfret community.
Drawing from his own experiences as a lower-income, first-generation college student who received acceptance and scholarships to study at an elite private high school in Florida and Amherst College, Dr. Jack vividly illustrated the challenges of being a "poor black person in a rich white place." He emphasized that while top institutions open their gates, they often fall short in creating truly inclusive environments. Colleges must not only admit students from underrepresented backgrounds but also support them as they navigate life between convocation and commencement.
Colleges and prep schools must move from access to inclusion, from focusing on who we let in, to how they experience the campus once inside the gates. We must ensure that social class — symbolically and materially — does not keep lower-income students in secondary positions. To embark upon the crucial task of making colleges look more like the world, we must question what we take for granted." Dr. Anthony Abraham Jack
Dr. Jack shared his research and interviews with students who experience food insecurity when the dining halls are closed during school breaks. While their classmates are enjoying lavish trips, they are trying to find their next meal. Worse yet, some colleges and universities charge students to stay on campus during the breaks when these students cannot afford a bus or plane ticket home.
Another facet of Dr. Jack’s research is how students navigate office hours and how to make this practice more equitable. Students from poor high schools often do not know what office hours are and what value this time with their professors holds. Using office hours goes beyond getting extra help when struggling with a topic covered during the lecture. It extends to asking for and earning teaching and research assistance opportunities. Dr. Jack believes that one of his greatest triumphs is helping more than 100 professionals define what office hours are at the beginning of the term. Reducing this barrier to access has helped students succeed on college campuses across the country.
“Dr. Jack’s insights have not only illuminated the challenges that many students face in higher education but also inspired us to think critically about the systems we participate in and the change we can drive,” says Eva Katsev '27. “His work and dedication to justice and equality are an incredible reminder of the power of education to transform lives.”
Students created a collaborative portrait of Dr. King.
After Dr. Jack’s keynote address, students and faculty presented workshops centered around the national Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day theme, “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365.” These sessions explored various social justice topics, including environmental justice, human rights, education equity, voting rights, and healthcare access.