
Howard County resident Hiruy Hadgu is a dedicated social justice warrior and active community leader.
Hadgu was born and raised in Ethiopia to parents who valued education and pushed him and his siblings to be the best versions of themselves.
A Father’s Desire
“My father was a college professor and I remember there was a time where we were all talking and my dad said, “’You should be an engineer.’ Then he looked at my brother and said, ‘You should be a doctor,’ and that’s what we became. Education was really emphasized,” Hagdu said.
After living in Ethiopia, he then moved with his family to Botswana where his father continued his work as a professor. After living in Botswana for a few years he then moved to the United States and attended college at the University of Michigan.
At Michigan, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and then with a Masters in Engineering.
After his time at Michigan, he then moved to Howard County, Maryland. He also went back to school at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and received his Masters of Business Administration.
A Love of Knowledge
Hadgu said that having a father who worked in academia instilled a love of knowledge and education in him that he still carries to this day.
“I always joke that if I were to win the lottery I would go for my Ph.D because that’s how much I love learning,” Hadgu said.
An Equal Disdain for Republicans and Democrats
Hadgu said that Donald Trump’s election in 2016 motivated him to start his advocacy work and his involvement in politics.
While he still opposes Trump, he now believes that both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are filled with corrupt individuals who will never have the best interest of the American people at heart.
“When I hear people say that Trump is dangerous, I laugh because I look at the Biden administration. They’ve deported thousands of people and are funding a genocide,” Hadgu said. [Publisher’s Note: Regarding “genocide” Hadgu is referring to the deaths of Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.]
Equality and Education
Hadgu is specifically passionate about education equality. He believes in a future where every student has access to a high-quality education, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.
“Education is the greatest equalizer. It’s the key to everything,” Hadgu said.
Hadgu ran for city council in 2018, and his campaign strongly focused on the impacts of zoning and land-use decisions and how they affect the quality of education that students receive.
“I see that the schools are not doing well. The communities are separated economically. Looking at that I felt compelled to do something,” Hadgu said.
Hadgu said that Howard County has a long history of being economically segregated.
“When this area was first developed, the county council allowed developers to only build homes for affluent people,” said Hadgu. According to Hadgu, the law did not require a push for zoning conditions that would allow for mixed-economic integration.
In 2019 Hadgu wrote and spread awareness for a petition that would increase residential school surcharge fees, and this petition led to the passage of the school surcharge bill. These efforts help increase school funding, which allow schools to hire more teachers and reduce the teacher-to-student ratios which gives space for more personalized instruction that helps students thrive.
Hadgu doesn’t want students to suffer from underfunded schools simply because of what their zip code. He wants all students to have access to a proper education that can successfully lead them to pursue their future goals.
Police Accountability, Palestine and Undocumented Immigrants
Hadgu is also a strong advocate against police brutality. After the murder of George Floyd he co-founded the Police Accountability Task Force of Howard County, which advocates for police reform.
“Our initial goal was to help push for body cameras, and we were successful with that,” Hadgu said.
Hadgu’s humanity and desire for equal rights knows no borders. He is also a strong advocate for Palestine.
Hadgu helped establish the organization, “Howard County for a Free Palestine.” This organization helps connect individuals who are interested in helping the people of Palestine. They help raise awareness about the challenges Palestine is going through. They advocate for Palestinian liberation and push to create meaningful change.
Hadgu also believes that it’s important for Americans to understand that their own government is responsible for the suffering that Palestinians are under.
“Israel is using our taxpayer dollars to slaughter babies. We gave nearly $20 billion since October 2023 to facilitate this genocide. This is money that could go to help educate American babies, instead of slaughtering Palestine babies. We must judge our leaders by their actions,” Hadgu said.
Hadgu is also a strong advocate for immigration reform and criticizes the Biden administration for their lack of support and protection for undocumented immigrants. He also believes that the state of Maryland, despite their claims of being welcoming towards immigrants, has also failed to protect them.
“The Biden administration has deported families and detained children in cages. While Maryland has been relatively supportive compared to other states. This, in my opinion, is a low bar,” Hadgu said.
He also believes that Howard County could do better when it comes to their support of undocumented immigrants.
“In Howard County, the County Executive, a Democrat, resisted canceling the detention center’s contact with ICE for years until his hand was forced by state legislation; and liberal groups are largely silent. The advocates in these groups, such as Indivisible Howard County, should act as if their lives are on the line,” Hadgu said.
A Family Man
On top of his advocacy work, Hadgu also works as a full-time nuclear engineer and has two other important roles — being a loving father and husband.
He said he relies on the support of his wife to be able to balance it all out. However, he also believes that when a cause is important to someone, they will find a way to support it.
“I prioritize my advocacy — it’s important to me,” Hadgu said.
The Future of Advocacy
His advice for future social justice warriors and those who want to be more involved with their communities is to be independent thinkers.
“The first thing I would say to young people starting out as advocates is don’t join the political parties. Instead join organizations, be suspicious of the political parties because they will exploit you. I would also say keep an open mind and learn about those who were ostracized and not given attention by the mainstream media,” Hadgu said.
To learn more about Hiruy Hadgu and his advocacy work you may visit his official website at Hiruyhadgu.com.
This article was written by freelance reporter Michelle Calderon.
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So what happens now if the Justice Department goes after local officials who refuse to cooperate with deportation?