Actor and activist Hill Harper to speak at Chancellor’s MLK Scholarship Luncheon in January
Actor, author and political activist Hill Harper (“The Good Doctor,” “CSI: NY”) will be the featured speaker at the Metropolitan Community
College Foundation’s 2026 Chancellor’s Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Luncheon. The event is set for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Union Station.
The MCC Foundation invites the Greater Kansas City community to experience this annual fundraiser, which brings together community, civic and corporate partners and friends to celebrate the life and legacy of the King family. Sponsorships will make a meaningful investment in students across the Kansas City area. To become a sponsor, visit mcckc.edu/mlkluncheon, email MCC.Foundation@mcckc.edu or call 816.604.1195.
At the January luncheon, presented by Meta, eight Metropolitan Community College students will be announced as recipients of full one-year MCC scholarships. Also, the MCC Foundation’s annual Alvin Brooks Kansas Citian Inspiration Award will be presented to Lisa Ginter, CEO of CommunityAmerica Credit Union. MCC Chancellor Kimberly Beatty will host, and KSHB 41 news anchor Kevin Holmes will return as emcee.
Featured speaker Hill Harper grew up in Iowa City, Iowa, the son of two medical doctors: a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist. He would go on to graduate magna cum laude from Brown University in Rhode Island with a degree in economics and sociology. He later earned a law degree from Harvard Law School.
As an actor, Harper has appeared in films such as “Beloved,” “Lackawanna Blues” and “Loving Jezebel.” His TV work has included “Limitless” and “Covert Affairs.” He has appeared in Off-Broadway plays including “ToasT,” set in Attica around the time of the prison’s 1971 riot.
His books have included “Letters to a Young Brother,” “Letters to an Incarcerated Brother” and “The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place.” Barack and Michelle Obama have contributed to Harper’s books.
Harper has been recognized with seven NAACP Image Awards for his writing and acting. He has served as national spokesman for several social justice organizations.
In eight years, the MCC Foundation’s Chancellor’s Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Luncheon has raised more than $1.2 million for MCC student scholarships.
The Metropolitan Community College Foundation was formed in 1976 — making 2026 its 50th anniversary — with the goal of increasing student access to educational opportunities and supporting quality programs. More than half of MCC students require financial aid to realize their dreams of attending college.