WASHINGTON – Howard University is pleased to announce a generous $1 million gift to the Howard University School of Social Work from the family of activist, philanthropist, and the first executive director of For Love of Children (FLOC), Fred Taylor, to create the Fred Taylor “Roll Away the Stone” Program at the Howard University School of Social Work. The gift and new program were recently announced during the 85^th Virtual Celebration: Social Work Education which honored Howard University’s legacy of radical social justice, education and advocacy. 

“At Howard University, we talk often about the difference between our major and our mission – but for those students in the School of Social Work, there is no daylight between what they’re studying and the good they intend to do in the world,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “I am tremendously grateful for this gift from F. Chapman Taylor, whose generosity will empower our students and faculty to magnify their impact at a time when so many in the Black community are most in need of social work and additional support. Mr. Taylor and his family have long been dedicated to making a difference in the community with their good deeds.”

With the support of this generous gift, the School of Social Work will establish a certificate program for Human Service Leadership for Nonprofit and Public Service professionals and provide annual tuition and financial assistance to Master of Social Work students selected to participate as “Fred Taylor Emerging Leaders.” Taylor was a dedicated community activist who advocated for underrepresented children and communities in need. He served as the first executive director of FLOC, an organization that has long provided social services and educational programs to children in underserved neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., for 37 years. Taylor authored the book “Roll Away the Stone: Saving America’s Children,” which outlined his approach to alleviating persistent poverty and its effect on children.

“The Taylor family is excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with one of the country’s pre-eminent schools of social work in developing a new generation of leaders for systemic social change toward more just outcomes for all,” said F. Chapman Taylor, Taylor’s son and partner at Capital International Investors, Inc. “Our gift is in honor of our father, husband, and grandfather Fred Taylor, his lifelong work at For Love of Children, and his paradigm shifting approach outlined in the book “Roll Away the Stone”. Howard University’s School of Social Work is uniquely placed to design and deliver the envisioned Human Leadership Certificate program through its ongoing thought leadership and high impact approach in developing leaders to address critically needed social change. With Dean Sandra Crewe’s leadership and the research support of the E. Franklin Frazier Center, we are confident of the programs future positive impact on bending the curve away from injustice anywhere toward justice everywhere.

The one-year program will be developed in collaboration with the School of Business and School of Divinity, infusing the School of Social Work’s principles of the Black perspective. It is designed to build the capacity of emerging nonprofit and public service leaders who are often under-resourced and supporting vulnerable communities. The program’s design and implementation will be informed by client voices and the perspectives of agency leaders. In addition to the core curriculum, the program will include an annual community lecture and real-world “change projects” created and implemented by participants.  

“Impactful leadership in human service agencies is more important than ever as we address the coronavirus pandemic and the racial justice issues that plague our society,” said School of Social Work Dean Sandra Edmonds Crewe, Ph.D. “I am grateful for the advocacy and leadership of Mr. Fred Taylor and to his family for this gift honoring his life. We look forward to the opportunity to advance our social justice mission through this program.”

During the 85^th virtual celebration, Howard University leaders, students, and faculty honored Howard University’s role in advocating for high quality social work education and the University’s commitment to social justice. Howard University’s role in social work education is widely recognized, with the University having played a critical role in educating the first African-American social workers and emphasizing its core principal of the Black perspective. The school’s graduate programs have consistently maintained accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education. 

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About Howard University 

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu. 

Media Contact: Misha Cornelius, misha.cornelius@howard.edu