MEDIA ADVISORY: MU to Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Hosts Actor, Author Hill Harper

Story Contact(s):
Nathan Hurst, hurstn@missouri.edu, 573-882-6217

WHAT : The University of Missouri will celebrate the legacy of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a lecture by actor, author and youth advocate Hill Harper. Harper’s presentation, “Manifest Your Destiny:  How to Achieve Your Goals and Overcome Fears,” will focus on how individuals can work toward their goals without fearing the outcomes.

WHO : Harper graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brown University before receiving graduate degrees in law and public administration from Harvard University. Harper then pursued his dreams as an actor and has received two National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards for his role in “CSI: New York.” Harper is currently acting in the television series “Covert Affairs”, where he plays Calder Michaels, a CIA station chief based in Latin America.

Prior to his work on “CSI: New York” he appeared on “City of Angels” and “The Handler,” and guest-starred on top shows such as “Soul Food,” “The Sopranos,” “ER,” “NYPD Blue,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” In addition to his work in television, Harper also appeared in movies such as “In Too Deep,” “Beloved,” “He Got Game,” “Get on the Bus,” “Zooman” and “One Red Rose,” which he co-wrote for Showtime.

Outside of his acting career, Harper is a volunteer and spokesman for Big Brothers Big Sisters, an organization that helps children realize their potential and build their futures. Being involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters inspired Harper to become an author. In 2006, he wrote the New York Times bestselling book Letters to a Young Brother, a book that provides encouragement and guidance to young African-American men. Following the success of his first book, Harper wrote another New York Times bestseller, Letters to a Young Sister, engaging some of the strongest female voices of this generation to help him convey a message of hope, education and commitment for young African-American women. For his literary accomplishments, Harper has been awarded three additional NAACP Image Awards.

WHEN &
WHERE : 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 29
Missouri Theatre, 203 S. Ninth Street
Columbia, Mo.

NOTES : The lecture is open to the public, but all tickets have been distributed.
Interview requests with Hill Harper must be submitted to Nathan Hurst, hurstn@missouri.edu by Tuesday, Jan. 28.

For more information visit http://diversity.missouri.edu/mlk/.