Top of the Hill
Hill Harper to keynote 2007 Salute
By Alvin A. Reid Of the St. Louis American
Hill Harper is known as an actor.
But he is so much more than that, and his true talent might be away from a stage or studio.
His father, Henry Harper, was an acclaimed psychiatrist. His mother, Marilyn Hill, was one of the nation’s first practicing anesthesiologists.
While he began acting at the age of 7, Harper graduated magna cum laude from Brown University (A.B. 1988) and also graduated with a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Master’s of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
He currently stars in CBS’ popular series CSI: N.Y. and has appeared in countless movies and television shows.
But he is also devoted to building a stronger Black America through his MANifest Your Destiny Foundation.
The non-profit youth organization strives to “empower, encourage and inspire under-served males to succeed.” It provides young men with support systems, resources, encouragement and guidance through mentorship, scholarship and grant programs.
“Education has always been important to me and my family,” says Hill.
“And I’m a big proponent of trying to get young, urban kids to go to school and educate themselves, because the world offers a wealth of opportunities.”
His concern for this generation of black young men led him to write Letters to a Younger Brother in 2006.
A bestseller, the book is targeted to young males who lack positive role models and Hill cites several examples of personal perseverance to inspire them.
Harper will share his mission of empowerment as keynote speaker of the Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Banquet on Friday, Sept. 14 at America’s Center.
Harper also works tirelessly to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS
“I know all the data about how it’s crippling our community,” Harper said.
“And it has to be stopped. Since I’m an entertainer, I have an opportunity to lend a voice.”
Harper wrote an essay for the book Not in My Family: AIDS in the African-American Community that recalls his experiences as an actor in roles designed to tell the story of AIDS patients coming to grips with their status. In the film The Visit, he plays a dying AIDS patient who is unjustly on death row.
He was a Harvard classmate of presidential candidate U.S. Senator Barack Obama, and Harper’s Bazaar said in 2006 that he “could possibly be the next actor to run for president.”
Through his CSI: NY role as coroner Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, Harper is also combating Hollywood stereotypes that limit roles for black actors.
“I think strides are being made, but we still have a long way to go,” Hill says of opportunities for black actors.
“Our predecessors, the Diahann Carrolls, the Sidney Poitiers, the Billy Dee Williamses, opened the door so that there are many more roles available to African-American actors today. However, the industry still tends to pigeonhole African-American projects and characters. The thinking is that the stories we tell, the experiences we have, aren’t universal; the thinking is that they apply only to us.”
General seating tickets for Salute are $85 per ticket or $850 for a table of 10. VIP/Corporate tickets are $150 per ticket or $1,500 for a table of 10. For information and sales, call 314-533-8000, ext. 305.
