Paulo Freire was a Brazilian educator, perhaps best known for his influential text Pedagogy of the Oppressed, was born on September 19, 1921 in Recife, a port city on Brazil's northeastern coast. Although he was born into a middle class household, his family was severely impacted by the Great Depression, ushering him into the ranks of those who know what it's like to go hungry. Freire recalled that poverty and hunger severely affected his ability to learn and ultimately influenced his decision to dedicate his life to improving the lives of the poor: "I didn't understand anything because of my hunger. I wasn't dumb. It wasn't lack of interest. My social condition didn't allow me to have an education. Experience showed me once again the relationship between social class and knowledge" (Moacir Gadotti, Reading Paulo Freire: His Life and Work).
Freire's family's financial situation eventually improved enough for him to enroll at the University of Recife, where he earned a law degree. However, he soon abandoned the legal profession, choosing to teach Portuguese in secondary schools. He later shifted from secondary school to adult education and training, working as the director of education at SESI (1946), an employee's institution designed to help workers and their families. Freire also completed a Ph.D. during this time, finishing his dissertation "Present Day Education in Brazil" in 1959. From 1961-64 he served as the first Director of the Department of Cultural Extension at the University of Recife, bringing literary programs to the poor.
