• Perspectives
• Freeman Hrabowski

Freeman Hrabowski

“The world’s not necessarily fair, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that each of us has the power to shape our future—that’s the message that CFUF conveys to the larger community. The success of CFUF is inextricably tied to the success of the city itself.

The Center is using practical approaches to change people’s lives, to help them develop the skills that they need, to think about what it takes to be effective as a parent, to help them find a job so they can be responsible as citizens. We need to look at that success, build on that success, replicate that success, and talk about that success, because each of us has a responsibility, an obligation, to make this city better.”

“We need to look at that success, build on that success, replicate that success, and talk about that success, because each of us has a responsibility, an obligation, to make this city better... ”

An only child of two teachers, Freeman Hrabowski wanted to teach math when he was five years old, and when he was thirteen, he knew he wanted to be a college dean. His father always held at least three jobs. His parents were his role models. They not only worked hard, they always supported others. While they attended civil rights meetings in Birmingham, AL, where he grew up, they made sure he finished his homework in the back of the room. Freeman graduated at nineteen from the Hampton Institute with honors in mathematics and went on to receive his master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He realized his dream—first becoming Dean at UMBC and then President of the university in 1992.