A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
April 15, 2025
I am honored to announce that Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II will serve as the 2025 Commencement Speaker for Antioch College this June.
A pastor, moral leader, and architect of the contemporary Poor People’s Campaign, Reverend Barber is one of the most powerful voices for justice and democracy in America today. He is nationally recognized for his work to revive the heart of democracy through grassroots organizing, courageous truth-telling, and a deep moral commitment to the dignity of every person.
Reverend Barber is President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, and the founding Director of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. A MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and recipient of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award, he has spent decades building multi-racial coalitions across lines of faith, race, and class.
He has been called “the closest person we have to Martin Luther King Jr. today” and is renowned not only for his fierce commitment to justice but also for his radical compassion. From rural North Carolina to the steps of the U.S. Capitol, his ministry has centered the lives of those too often left at the margins—poor and working people, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities, and so many others who struggle under unjust systems.
At Antioch College—a place with a legacy of moral courage and progressive action—Reverend Barber’s presence will be both a celebration and a call to continue the work. His words will inspire graduates and all of us to move forward with love, clarity, and determination in these difficult times.
Commencement will take place on June 21 at 10:00 am in the Foundry at Antioch College. We will share additional details about the ceremony in the coming weeks.
Please join me in welcoming Reverend Barber to Antioch, as we prepare to honor the Class of 2025 and reflect together on the work still ahead.
