Despite being a liberal arts school that prides itself on diverse admissions, an accepting atmosphere, and its commitment to Jesuit values of social justice, one only needs to look around the campus of Boston College to see that the school is not just predominantly white, but often feels overwhelmingly so. The unequal demographic is a product of a variety of systemic issues embedded in higher education. While these issues can feel too large for individual students to tackle alone, there are many ways to combat institutional racism on a personal level.

In a lecture on Oct. 26, Leary spoke of her work in the Obama and Biden administrations to pass initiatives centered around achieving equity in the country. The event was co-sponsored by the Mental Health Counseling Urban Scholars Program, the Donovan Urban Teaching Scholars Program, and the Center for Psychological Humanities and Ethics.