Kandice Sumner
Dr. Kandice Sumner has spent her career working to close gaps in education and open doors for students of color. A Boston native, she grew up in the city but attended a suburban school through METCO, the nation’s longest-running voluntary desegregation program. That experience shaped her perspective on race, class and opportunity — and continues to inform her work today.
Sumner went on to graduate from Spelman College with Phi Beta Kappa honors and later earned her doctorate in education. Since 2009, she has taught and led in both urban and suburban schools, developing a reputation as a teacher, mentor and leader who challenges systems to do better for students.
She reached a national audience with her 2016 TED Talk, “How America’s Public Schools Keep Kids in Poverty,” which drew millions of views. In it, she spoke frankly about the inequities she has seen firsthand — from resource disparities to low expectations — and called for urgent change.
Her academic work deepened that call. For her doctoral research, Sumner studied the experiences of Black students navigating predominantly white institutions, pointing to the need for stronger support in areas such as racial identity and mental health.
Beyond the classroom, Sumner co-founded Educators for AntiRacism, a nonprofit that gives teachers practical tools to create and sustain antiracist classrooms and schools. She also leads the RACE (Race, Achievement, Culture and Equity) professional development series and has served as a mentor in youth programs across Greater Boston.
She is frequently invited to speak with school districts, universities and nonprofits. In recent months, her engagements have included keynote roles at the Brookline Public Schools’ MET- CO Young Women’s Leadership Conference, MassCue and the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Sumner’s life has spanned both sides of Boston’s educational divide — from being one of few Black students in a suburban district to attending a historically Black college and then returning to teach in underserved Boston neighborhoods. That perspective allows her to connect across lines of race and class while pushing for equity in every setting.
At a time when conversations about race and education remain urgent, Sumner continues to use her platform to challenge inequities and inspire action, keeping Boston students at the center of her mission.
