Sérgio Haddad was born in 1949 in São Paulo. He holds a PhD in history and philosophy of education from USP and is a professor, researcher and social activist. He has served on the National Commission for Literacy and Education of Young People and Adults, the Technical-Scientific Council for Basic Education of Capes, and several councils of civil society organizations.
This biographical profile of Paulo Freire brings sobriety to a debate tainted by ideological polarization, recovering, in addition to little-known aspects of the educator, his successful literacy experience in Angicos and details of the persecution he suffered at the hands of the military. Then came his imprisonment, exile, international fame, experiences in Africa, his return to Brazil after the amnesty, the resumption of his academic career and his experience as Secretary of Education in São Paulo. With discretion and generosity, Sérgio Haddad retraces Paulo Freire's career without getting involved in ideological disputes, revealing the many facets of a complex intellectual who was decisive for Brazilian culture.
