Jack Kirkland is a nationally known scholar who lectures, consults, and writes on the African-American family. He has a keen interest in issues of multicultural classroom environments. As a result, he has designed and led numerous workshops in African-American culture for public school teachers across the country. He has lectured on multiculturalism and economic development across the world. Internationally known, he has been asked to return to South Africa to give lectures and workshops on transforming cultural diversity into multiculturalism.

He has worked with public, non-profit, and for-profit organizations, and he has served as consultant to mayors of several cities. A former director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, he has worked with many organizations in the greater St. Louis area.

A popular teacher, he brings issues of community work, group relations, international social development, racism, social planning, and urban environments alive in the classroom. Among his awards is the 1995 Teaching Award from the Brown School.

He is the recipient of the 1996 National Service Award from the National Association of Homes and Services for Children and a 1997 Spirit of Crazy Horse award from the Black Hills Seminars on Reclaiming Youth at Risk for his contributions in bringing together people of diverse cultural backgrounds to work on behalf of children and youth at risk.