James Freeman

Dr. James T. Freeman has dedicated a significant portion of his personal and professional life to his work in nonprofit and community services. Many of his efforts have been around working with African American families in support of enhancing their growth and development, assisting them with competent community services that reduce barriers, in a strategic effort to build strong families and safe communities. Among the values that he holds true are dignity, respect, spirituality, community and education. Dr. Freeman serves as an Assistant Professor for the MSW program at Johnson C Smith University. As a part of the inaugural graduate faculty for the graduate MSW program in the School of Social Work. Dr. Freeman has helped to create an MSW program with the mission and focus of preparing Culturally Competent Advance Generalist Graduate Social Work Practitioners.

Dr. Freeman currently focuses his academic research and scholarship on the development of graduate African American social work students who are trained to work with and advocate for social, economic and political justice for marginalized African American families in impoverished urban communities. Dr. Freeman’s work in Human Services, and Child Welfare in addition to his focus on Race and Culture in Social Work Practice, has afforded the following professional partnerships. Dr. Freeman has consulted on a three-year project with the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) funded by the Kresge Foundation representing the Black Administrators in Child, which focused on the “Preservation of Culturally Specific Human Service Organizations.” Dr. Freeman continues to serve the National Association of Black Social Workers as the National Chair of Professional Development and Co-Chair of Programs on the National Conference Committee.

Dr. Freeman received his BA in Psychology with a minor in Religion from Washington and Jefferson College in Washington Pennsylvania, his MSW from the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work in Pittsburgh PA, the MBAe for Executive Leader from the Katz Business School at the University of Pittsburgh and his Ph.D. from Morgan State University in Baltimore Maryland. He is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) holding a license in both Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Dr. Freeman’s love for education and the social work profession has afforded him the opportunity to serve the following universities in the capacity as Adjunct/Assistant Professor: the University of Pittsburgh, Morgan State University and Johnson C. Smith University

In addition to his academic and scholarship activities, Dr. Freeman’s community practice work has incorporated both clinical and administrative experiences. Dr. Freeman has served as the Associate Director for the NorthShore Community Alliance. In this role, he oversees all programming and community work. Prior to joining the NorthShore Community Alliance, Dr. Freeman served as the Executive Vice President of A Second Chance, Inc. (ASCI) the first holistic Kinship Foster Care organization in the United States, established by Dr. Sharon L. McDaniel in Pittsburgh PA, Allegheny County.

Dr. Freeman is a sought-after lecturer and public speaking on Child Welfare and Human Service Organizational Leadership, Race and Cultural Identity, The African Centered Paradigm and Best Practice in Mental Health and Direct services with African American Families, presenting at several national and local conferences including The National Association of Black Social Worker, the Black Administrators in Child Welfare, Child Welfare League of America, One Church One Child Adoption Conference and National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI).