He’s at the top of his game. In 2005 he garnered an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on CSI: NY, a follow-up to his 2001 nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the CBS series City of Angels. Despite his impressive acting credentials, Hill Harper is cut from a different cloth. He graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and a master’s in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. His entrepreneurial ventures are also noteworthy: he is co-owner of two New Orleans hotels — the International House and Loft 523 — and Big Wang’s Sports Bar in Hollywood.
A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Harper, 40, moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting aspirations. While he remains an arresting presence in the homes of 17 million CSI: NY viewers, Harper has turned his attention to helping young black men with the release of his literary debut Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny (2006; Gotham Books). Taken from his own experiences, Harper offers advice and encouragement on media stereotypes and obtaining a well-rounded education in a voice that will resonate with many readers. BLACK ENTERPRISE recently caught up with him to talk about his message to young black men.
What did you think of The New York Times article “Plight Deepens for Black Men”? I can’t believe that more people aren’t out with picket signs in front of public schools. For instance, in the Baltimore public schools — and I’m not picking on Baltimore — we can name a number of other public school systems with similar statistics, but only one in four young black men who started in the public school system as elementary students graduate high school. That means 76%! What’s happening to them? If this doesn’t upset people, if this doesn’t make people want to do something to get some attention about these issues, then I have no idea what will.
What is your solution for our young black men? Among the most underutilized resources are mentorship and apprenticeship. Most successful people are willing to apprentice individuals. You might have to work for free and you might have to work very diligently to prove to them that you’re serious about what you want to learn. But if you contact individuals who you respect and with whom you identify, they will allow you to work alongside them for free. One way to develop a relationship from which you can learn is to offer your services for free. People understand that you have to apprentice to learn. I apprenticed under Denzel Washington when we worked together in He Got Game. Now did I walk up to Denzel
and say, “Mr. Washington, will you be my mentor?” No. I watched the way he approached scenes, the way he spoke to the director, dealt with the crew members, the way he created a character. You can do that in any area of life. Sean “Diddy” Combs walked into Def Jam Records and said,”I will get you coffee, let me hang out here for free.” So after three months of sending him to Starbucks, they said, “Well, give him something else to do. Maybe we should put this guy on the payroll, give him minimum wage.” But he kept working.How do we get the word out to young men about taking advantage of mentorship, internships and apprenticeships? We have to represent success. Rappers and hip-hop artists represent a certain lifestyle on purpose: to sell records. Young people are interested in that. However, where are the rest of us who are living different types of
lives? How are we representing our lives? I know some people who are living fabulous, beautiful lives. Why don’t we talk more about Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons and let these young men understand that he is living a very meaningful life? I would put Richard Parson’s life up against any hip-hop artist’s life.Why have you embraced this issue? What do you get out of this? I’ve been blessed with opportunity and information. Ultimately money and education are two different things that provide additional choices. Money can’t buy happiness — we’ve all heard that — but money can buy choices. Education can’t buy happiness, but education can provide choices. Having more choices increases your likelihood of manifesting your destiny. We all have a destiny, but most of us need choices to figure out what that is. I’m encouraging individuals to seek out ways to expand their choices and expand their opportunities.