Dean Emeritus Hubie Jones Honored at Building a Better Boston Award

Dean Emeritus Hubie Jones (SSW ’57) was one of three honorees at this year’s Building a Better Boston Award, an event hosted annually by the Center for Collaborative Leadership (CCL) at UMass Boston. The award recognizes Boston leaders who have exhibited lifelong dedication to community involvement and social change. CCL describes Jones as “one of the most influential scholars and activists for the underrepresented communities in Massachusetts.”

Jones, who made the decision to dedicate his life to social justice after attending a speech by fellow BU graduate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has been one of Boston’s preeminent community advocates for more than fifty years.

Early in his career in 1967, after being promoted to executive director at Roxbury Multi-Service Center, Jones launched a large-scale investigation into the Boston School Department for intentionally preventing over 10,000 children with disabilities and other differences from attending public school. The investigation led to two landmark Massachusetts laws protecting children’s right to an education. The task force Jones created for the investigation evolved into the current-day Massachusetts Advocates for Children, an organization that has improved the quality of life for thousands of children and families.

In addition to MAC, Jones founded Higher Ground and Boston Children’s Chorus, led numerous youth and education institutions as board president, and served as Dean and Professor at BU School of Social Work from 1977 to 1993.

Jones, who is still an active leader and participant in the Boston community, is currently Senior Advisor and Social Justice Entrepreneur-in-Residence at City Year, an organization that provides academic and social-emotional support to students at high-need schools.

In addition to Hubie Jones, the Building a Better Boston Award also recognized education activist and former professor Sherry Penny, as well as former CFO for the city of Boston, George Russell, Jr., who founded city youth programs and serves on the board of advisors at Boston University’s African Presidential Archives and Research Center.