DETROIT – Hill Harper came to love the city of Detroit while filming roles here.
He is now a Detroit resident, business owner and major philanthropist, quietly doing good deeds all across the Motor City.
On Tuesday, the actor got some much deserved recognition for his work.
“I always say, we look at the Spirit of Detroit, that big statue downtown, that’s not the Spirit of Detroit, the Spirit of Detroit is what you carry around in your heart,” said Council President Brenda Jones.
Those were some pretty big words from Jones. They were followed up by a presentation about people who are making an impact in Detroit.
One of the people honored was WBC junior middleweight boxer, Tony Harrison who recently won a much anticipated boxing match.
The other one was Harper. He is now a well known actor, author and businessman here in Detroit.
“I’m proud to invest in this city and owning the Roasting Plant downtown and also the Charles D. Fisher Mansion,” said Harper.
Chandra Moore helped design the mansion.
“I have been working with Hill for a while, and Hill actually chose me for the renovation of the historic mansion and it took a whole host of us on our team,” Moore said.
Harper is not from Detroit, but said the Motor City has a special place in his heart and giving back is important.
“I think of two words, impact and legacy. Legacy means how long the impact will last,” said Harper.
Harper also started the foundation: Manifest Your Destiny. It’s an empowerment program, in partnership with Wayne State.