Moving the Dream Forward: A Call to Action
EVENT HAS SOLD OUT
Presented by the Wayland METCO Program and the Wayland Boston Parent Council
A Reflection on the Wayland METCO Community with an Eye on Moving Forward!
Event Honoree
Dr. Jean McGuire
In 1966, McGuire helped found the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, otherwise known as METCO. METCO is a voluntary school desegregation program that buses students of color in Boston to predominantly white schools throughout Boston suburbs, in order to receive better education from well-funded schools. Jean McGuire became the executive director of METCO in 1973, and remained the director until 2016. During her 43-year tenure, she was known as a fierce advocate for METCO students, who generally received better educational opportunity through their participation, but at times also faced racism, violence, and isolation in overwhelmingly white suburban spaces. McGuire also advocated for Black educators, calling for the need for racial and community representation at all levels.
McGuire is also known for being the first Black woman on the Boston School Committee. She was encouraged to run by her friend, John O’Bryant, who was the first Black person on the School Committee. In her positions on the school committee and as the director of METCO, McGuire was known for her tireless commitment to the students she served. Beyond her work in Boston, McGuire’s career also had national impact: in 1975, she went to Washington with a group of 33 Black Boston leaders to discuss school desegregation with the Massachusetts Congressional Council and the White House.
The Speaker
Manual J Fernandez
Manuel J. Fernandez served as the Wayland METCO Director from 1986-1998. He is currently the Chief Equity Officer for the Cambridge Public Schools in Cambridge, MA. From 2012-2021, he served as the founding Principal of the Cambridge Street Upper School (CSUS). Under his leadership, CSUS was recognized for its active commitment to equity and inclusion and profiled in Learning for Justice magazine, Cambridge Day News, the Hechinger Report, the Christian Science Monitor, and Edutopia. Fernandez has worked for over forty years in public education as a high school principal, middle school principal, elementary and middle school assistant principal, school counselor, and humanities teacher. He has over 30 years of experience as a skilled facilitator of equity-related themes. In addition, he has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Northeastern University, Wheelock College, and for the Teachers 21 leadership preparation program. He currently serves as a Community Advisor for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and on the Advisory Board of Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research. He is founder of the ManDez Group which provides transformative consultation on issues related to equity and inclusion in schools, community organizations, municipalities, and within the workplace. In December, he was elected President of the Association of the Massachusetts School Equity Leaders.
The Venue
Hibernian Hall
184 Dudley St, Suite 200
Roxbury, MA 02119
Hibernian Hall is your home for multicultural arts & culture in the heart of Boston!
As a performing arts destination contributing to Madison Park Development Corporation's (MPDC) mission of neighborhood revitalization in Roxbury, Hibernian Hall offers year-round programming reflecting Roxbury’s cultural heritage. Hibernian Hall is an excellent venue for our 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration! Celebrating the students of our Wayland METCO Program by supporting the community many of them call home.
