Holding Fast to Dreams

Praise

“A noble personification of the civil rights movement and an inspirational manual on instilling empowerment and possibility in today’s youth.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Dr. Hrabowski’s personal experiences as a child of the Civil Rights Movement being raised in a community committed to educating African-American children with high expectations during difficult times, reminds us we have an obligation to support all children. This message could not come at a more opportune time. While clear that there is still much work to be done, Dr. Hrabowski provides a blueprint for anyone interested in taking up the challenge of ensuring that no child in America ever has his or her dream deferred.”  
—David J. Johns, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans
 
“Freeman Hrabowski is the son of Freeman  Hrabowski Jr., son of Freeman Hrabowski (firstborn free man and farm owner in Lowndes county near Selma), son of Tom Hrabrowski, born into Lincoln’s age as a slave. In Holding Fast to Dreams, he speaks to a twenty-first century America, addressing Lincoln’s ‘House Divided’ conundrum: ‘If we could first know where we are and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do and how to do it.’ Get the book. Read all about it.”
—Dr. Robert P. Moses, President and Founder, The Algebra Project, Inc.

“Freeman Hrabowski has gone from being a frontline soldier in the Birmingham Children’s Crusade to a national leader in the twenty-first century movement to expand access to education. In this inspiring and hopeful book, he shares his extraordinary story and lessons learned from a lifetime of striving for, studying, and nurturing excellence against any odds.”
—Marian Wright Edelman, President, Children’s Defense Fund

“A mathematically gifted African-American grows up in the segregated South, nurtured by loving and caring adults. He spends 5 frightening days in a Birmingham jail at age 12 for joining a peaceful protest. A keen observer with a scientific mindset, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski explains how he continually learns from a series of such experiences to become a great leader—creating a new pathway that enables many other African-American males to likewise succeed as scientific, engineering and medical intellects. This is a wonderful story, told by a man who serves as a role model for all Americans—regardless of race.”
—Bruce Alberts, President Emeritus, US National Academy of Sciences