Sonja Spears

Sonja M. Spears is the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program where she leads the program through initiatives to center equity and racial justice in all aspects of their work. Previously Sonja practiced law in New Orleans then was elected judge, beginning her tenure as one of the two first black judges to ever serve in that court. She served for twelve years before her retirement in 2010.

After her retirement from the bench, Sonja returned to her native Boston, Massachusetts and her alma mater Tufts University where she has been teaching social justice classes to graduate and undergraduate students for nine terms. At Tufts she also serves as a member of the Advisory Board to the Masters in Diversity and Inclusion Program. She also teaches with the Trial Advocacy Workshop at Harvard Law School and previously taught Trial Advocacy at Tulane Law School, where she received her Juris Doctorate degree.

Sonja also currently serves on the National Advisory Board for the Vital Village Network which centers child and community well-being.