UMass Boston

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell will deliver the keynote address at UMass Boston’s 57th commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 29, on the Campus Center Lawn overlooking Dorchester Bay. Campbell, from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, was sworn in as the 45th Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in January 2023, becoming the first Black woman to hold a statewide office.

As Attorney General, Campbell has committed to fostering economic prosperity and stability for families, prioritizing the mental health and well-being of children, and breaking cycles of incarceration and violence. Nationally, she is recognized as a leading advocate for civil rights, environmental justice, criminal justice reform, and the defense of essential human service programs that support vulnerable communities.

Attorney General Campbell graduated from Boston Latin School, Princeton University, and UCLA Law School. She worked in legal services on issues related to children and families’ rights, employment, health care access, transportation, affordable housing, and climate change. Additionally, she served as legal counsel to Governor Deval Patrick.

In 2015, Campbell was elected to the Boston City Council, where she proposed the Community Preservation Act. This act still generates over $20 million annually for new affordable housing, historical preservation, and parks and open space. In 2018, she was unanimously elected City Council president, the first Black woman to hold the title.

“At UMass Boston, we are grateful for Attorney General Campbell’s bold leadership in our state and nationwide. She serves as a role model for our students and graduates, and we are privileged to have her deliver the Commencement address for the Class of 2025,” said Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco. “As a proud graduate of Boston Latin School and Boston Public Schools, Attorney General Campbell recognizes the significance of public education and higher education in preparing and inspiring the next generation of leaders in Boston and the Commonwealth.”

“I’m honored to celebrate UMass Boston’s graduating class as they embark on their next chapter,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “As attorney general and a mom, I appreciate the university’s unwavering dedication to fostering an academic environment of diverse people and ideas. I look forward to addressing our Commonwealth’s next generation of leaders.”

For more information on commencement, visit www.umb.edu/commencement.