Hingham, MA, Monday, May 19, 2025 - On Monday evening, the Hingham community gathered in love and gratitude at Foster Elementary School to dedicate its new library in honor of Camilla L. Roundtree, a trailblazing METCO Director whose 40-year career changed the lives of hundreds of students and families in Hingham and Boston.
The Camilla L. Roundtree Library stands as more than a room, it is a living promise to uphold the values she embodied: equity, compassion, and enduring belief in every child’s potential.
During the ceremony, METCO Director Amy Jackson captured the heart of Mrs. Roundtree’s legacy:
“Today, we don’t just name a room, we carry forward a promise. That we will continue to make room for every child. That we will lead with heart. That we will fight for fairness. That we will, like Mrs. Roundtree, see the potential in every student and do whatever it takes to support each and every one in our care.”
The event drew current and former METCO Directors, METCO alumni, community leaders, educators, administrators, and generations of the Roundtree family.
Together, they honored a woman whose impact transcended her title, a woman who didn’t wait for systems to be in place. Long before there were resources or infrastructure, Mrs. Roundtree took action, personally driving students from Boston to Hingham to ensure they not only arrived, but felt they belonged.
Speakers reflected on Mrs. Roundtree’s role as a bridge builder, a fierce advocate, and a mentor who helped shape a more inclusive Hingham. Carols Perez, a Hingham METCO alum and now Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility for Easton Public Schools, spoke powerfully about her influence:
“She was our rock. Our constant. She taught us to show up for the people we love. In a world where our Black and Brown students are still too often unseen and unheard, may we love them as fiercely as she did. May we protect them as tirelessly as she did. And may we uplift them as consistently as she did — without condition, without question.”
“Mrs. Roundtree showed us that when systems fall short, people can rise,” Jackson said. “Her work reminds us all that real leadership is not about titles, it’s about trust, relationships, and love in action.”
The library now bearing her name will continue her work not just as a place of books, but as a space where every student feels seen, valued, and inspired to dream.
To Mrs. Roundtree: Thank you for your vision, your courage, and your love. Your legacy lives on in the countless lives you touched, and in every student who walks through these doors.
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Plaque that hangs in the new Foster Elementary library, now named The Camilla L. Roundtree Library
Keynote Speaker Carols Perez, HPS METCO alum and current Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility Easton Public Schools
