CSI Star Determined to Help District Youth
Hill Harper Partners with Dance Institute for New Program
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There’s more to life than being a Hollywood star. For Hill Harper, the acclaimed actor who enjoys a lead role in the popular CBS Television series, “CSI: NY,” the fame and fortune he’s earned simply means finding ways to give back, particularly to youth. “No matter how well I may be doing in Hollywood, if the young brother or sister in D.C. or in Baltimore are not doing well, then I’m not doing very well because we’re all interconnected,” said Harper, 48. The actor visited the District earlier this month to announce that he’s bringing his, “Manifest Your Destiny Foundation,” to D.C. for a special program. Hill has committed to working with youth and passing along the lessons he’s learned while providing a base for underserved teens to use as a launching pad to academic success. “The need is so extreme here in D.C. I have a lot of great relationships here, I’ve met so many young people who could really benefit from this [program] in this area, so I really wanted to bring it here,” he said during his visit to the Dance Institute of Washington in Northwest. Hill and Fabian Barnes, the Dance Institute of Washington’s founder and artistic director, said they will kick off the new initiative with a, “Manifest Your Destiny Dancing with the Stars,” fundraiser at the Howard Theatre in Northwest on Thursday, September 4. The fundraiser will include several local participants who will compete in a dance competition to help raise funds for the foundation. Singer Raheem DeVaughn, journalist Roland Martin, Congressional Black Caucus Communications Director Ayofemi Kirby and several others have agreed to shake a leg. A total of 10 teams will compete, and similar to the popular ABC television show, the contestants will pair up with professional dancers from the Dance Institute of Washington. “I think this is fantastic,” said Barnes, 54, whose accomplishments and accolades include
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CSI: NY star Hill Harper visited the District this month in support of a new summer program that he’s launching through his, “Manifest Your Destiny,” Foundation. Harper has teamed with the Dance Institute of Washington for his latest endeavor. /Courtesy Photo
dancing under the direction of famed choreographer Arthur Mitchell and being honored at the White House with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. “From time to time, we will get high profile people who will come in. It’s a great opportunity for the kids and I think what Hill Harper is doing is fabulous and it’s a program that he’s already been working on in Los Angeles,” Barnes said. “The kids are very excited about this.” Harper’s foundation eventually plans to host a Summer Empowerment Academy for young people in the District. The academy has been designed to address what Hill calls the high school dropout epidemic and foundation officials will offer mentoring and educational support for eighth graders entering the ninth grade from economically challenged neighborhoods. Students will attend a weeklong, free training course during the summer before their high school freshman year begins. Prior to the start of the training, students, their parents, staff and mentors will meet and establish the rules and expectations. “We’re sincerely grateful that someone of Mr. Hill’s stature
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cares enough to come here and give of his time and resources so that our children can see that their future can be as bright as Denise Rolark Barnes they want it to be,” said SheiIndependent Beauty Consultant la Morrison, whose daughter, www.marykay/drolark-barnes.com Shante, attends Alice Deal Mid202-236-8831 dle School in Northwest. Hill said the academy program emerged from ideas, philosophies and strategies that are detailed in books he’s written that are aimed at youth, including, “Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest Your Destiny,” and, “Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE your Destiny.” “I didn’t want this to be about me, which is why I didn’t name (301) 864-6070 it the Hill Harper Foundation,” he said. The actor said his books have influenced so many and he MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC wants to capitalize on that momentum by using the academy ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights, as a mechanism for interaction COBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, between young people and the Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA, adults who will serve as mentors. Family Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, “These mentors are content National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete, experts in a variety of fields that Race Discrimination, Rehabilitation Retaliation, ‡ Pleaseand set allrole copy model in upper and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes:Act, Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bo bring knowledge Beauty Consultant in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica ® Personal Web Site program may To the Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained the Mary KayTorts, Severance Agreements, Sexualthrough Harassment, behaviors that willIndependent move those who participate in this along a Whistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge trajectory of success beginning SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA with their ninth grade year,” Hill www.jmlaw.net (301) 864-6070 jmccollum@jmlaw.net said.WI The Washington Informer June 26, - July 2, 2014 5
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