Geoffrey Greif
Member, OSI-Baltimore Leadership Council
Dr. Geoffrey Greif,a professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, has focused his research on a variety of issues such as race, sexual orientation, child kidnapping, and raising African-American boys. So it's no surprise then, when deciding where he and his wife, Maureen Lefton-Greif, Ph.D.--an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine--would give some of their time and resources, they chose OSI-Baltimore. "OSI has its finger on the pulse of key issues in Baltimore city, such as incarceration, drug abuse and race," Greif said recently, speaking from his home in Ruxton. "Many of those issues touch on work I've studied and focused on in my own social work and practice."
In 1984, after earning a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate from the Columbia University School of Social Work, Greif--a fourth generation Baltimorean--came home to work at the University of Maryland. Since then, he was written or co-edited 11 books, including "Single Fathers; Beating the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Males," with Drs. Freeman Hrabowski and Ken Maton, and his most recent book, "Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships." In 2001, he chaired then-Governor Parris Glendening's Commission to study sexual orientation discrimination in Maryland, and he has received both the Educator of the Year award from the Maryland Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and the Board of Regents Excellence in Teaching Award.
OSI combines a great top-down and bottom-up approach to key issues in Baltimore city and approaches these issues systematically and patiently. They do it through educating the public and intervening in the community, with both micro and macro interventions. And they've been here for a number of years. They've shown that they're staying the course on these issues, which I like.
Why now?
I suppose it's too obvious to say that this is a critical time. Everyone believes that the time they're living in is a critical time. But this is an important time. And I think that OSI has been in Baltimore long enough to establish itself as a leader and as a voice for the underserved. The cumulative amount of time that they've spent here makes them a prime place for philanthropists to give their support.
What inspires you most about being a part of what is going on at OSI -Baltimore?
What inspires me most about OSI is their attention to social justice issues, and the fact that the issues they've selected to tackle really cut across race and gender and, in some cases, sexual orientation. I think that the intersection of race and sex, along with class, is what inspires me in my own work. And OSI is interested in these issues, too.
What would you say is the biggest issue facing philanthropy in Baltimore today?
Everybody is trying to chase the same dollars. There are so many wonderful groups and, if you're an agency working on social justice issues, everyone's looking for support. I think the greatest challenge, in addition to supporting the issues that are most important to the city, is that we need to grow the next generation of philanthropists as well.
How can you and OSI -Baltimore help to do that?
Part of the giving that anyone does has to be of money and of time--both are extremely important. And people who give their time or their money should be aware that we are standing on the shoulders of those who gave before us. So organizations like OSI-Baltimore can help by providing mentoring opportunities and make sure there are ways to let new people know that they can make a difference, and provide opportunities for them to make that difference. No matter what ways they give, they're going to make a difference. All I can do, with Maureen, is hope that what we are able to do will make some small difference toward chipping away at these problems.
You sound hopeful. How do you see Baltimore's future?
I think current education trends are positive, and that is central to the long term growth of an involved and successful citizenry. You can't make it as a society unless people can get an education. Hopefully, a living wage and affordable housing will follow if education levels improve.