Shawn Harper, a former NFL player and local business owner, provided the keynote address at Otterbein University’s Martin Luther King Convocation on Jan. 17.
Gary Budzak | The Gazette
WESTERVILLE — A former football player provided unique perspective on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during Otterbein University’s annual convocation.
Shawn Harper grew up on the south side of Columbus with learning disabilities and a stutter. However, he has had the opportunity to play in the NFL as an offensive lineman, own a security services firm in Columbus, marry, become a self-help author and a gifted motivational speaker.
After weeks of study on the topic, Harper reflected on what he thought made King the type of person we celebrate every January, coming up with a few pearls of profundity during an impassioned keynote address in the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall on Jan. 17.
Harper focused on a historical event: The Montgomery bus boycott of 1955, when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. In the process, a 26-year-old King unexpectedly became the first leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and immediately had an impact on the Civil Rights Movement. The boycott lasted more than a year and resulted in the United States Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional.
“King sacrificed his life for change,” Harper said, “invoking anger but tempering it with love … standing up against prejudices and poverty.”
King had the courage to become an outspoken leader while many in an unjust society quietly avoid controversy and simply want a comfortable life, Harper said. King spoke out against bullying and injustice, and Harper noted that the rallies, protests, and marches King led generally involved improving economic conditions for everyone.
“God gave him the courage,” Harper said. “He lived his life grounded in truth. You can have facts, but still not have the truth. The real battle isn’t white vs. black, it’s economic.”
Harper equated the concept of triangulation in navigation — where you’re at, where you’re headed, and the fixed point of truth on the horizon — as a directive, and said that in the relay that is life, don’t drop the baton. While King knew he wouldn’t make it to the promised land, he knew he would be passing on the baton in the relay. And in Harper’s own case, several mentors pointed him in the right direction, while other people in similar circumstances simply haven’t been given that same opportunity.
“My encouragement for you today is to pick up the baton and continue that fight,” Harper said to the applause of the audience of Otterbein students and Westerville residents. “Lead this community with courage. I will not go with the flow. I will fight injustices and be a superhero. The darker the night, the brighter the light.”
The Martin Luther King Convocation, which was open to the public, took place on a Wednesday instead of Monday because the Otterbein campus was closed for the holiday.
“Westerville has an annual breakfast on MLK Day, too, so we buy tickets to send students and employees who would like to attend it,” Otterbein spokeswoman Jenny Hill told The Gazette.
