Updated Event Date: Hill Harper Speaks on Feb. 16

BUFFALO, NY – Canisius University presents “We Can’t Wait” - Education, Economic and Health Empowerment Summit on Thursday, February 16, from 8:45 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Zion Dominion Global Ministries, 895 North Forest Road in Williamsville. Hill Harper, actor, bestselling author and philanthropist, will speak at 12:45 p.m. The event, sponsored by the college’s Academic Talent Search Program, is free and open to the public. 

Hill Harper is the author of three New York Times bestsellers:Letters to a Young Brother, Letters to a Young Sister, and The Conversation. Letters to a Young Brother was named “Best Book for Young Adults” by the American Library Association in 2007. Harper currently stars on the hit television drama CSI:NY as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes. 

To date, Harper’s collective writing and acting work has been recognized with six NAACP Image Awards: Outstanding Literary Work: Debut Author (2007); Outstanding Literary Work: Youth/Teens (2007, 2008); and Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (2007, 2008 and 2009). He has also appeared in numerous prime-time television shows and feature films including For Colored Girls, The Sopranos, ER, The Game, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Lackawanna Blues, He Got Game, The Skulls, In Too Deep, The Nephew and The Visit. 

Harper is the founder of the Manifest Your Destiny Foundation which is dedicated to empowering, encouraging, and inspiring underserved youth to succeed through mentorship, scholarship and grant programs. He graduatedmagna cum laude with a BA from Brown University (and was valedictorian of his department) and cum laude with a JD from Harvard Law School. Harper also holds a master’s degree with honors from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and honorary doctoral degrees from Howard University, Winston-Salem State University, Cheyney University, Westfield State College, and Tougaloo College. 

He travels frequently as a motivational speaker and resonates with a wide range of audiences including youth, adults, and couples. 

The event is co-sponsored by Canisius University, DuPont, Zion Dominion Global Ministries, General Motors, WNED, Trio Upward Bound, COPE, Lilly A. Adams-Dudley, Academic Talent Search, Elizabeth P. Caffee, Deborah A. LaBounty, Curlane M. Jones-Brown, M.D., Lloyd J. Brown, M.D., Jeffery J. Grace, M.D., Fred D. Archer III, M.D., Gary Johnson, and Capital Change.

For more information, contact the Academic Talent Search Program at Canisius University at 716-888-3280.

Canisius University is one of 28 Catholic, Jesuit colleges in the nation and the premier private college in Western New York. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.