Syracuse professor encourages telling difficult stories

The co-founder of a group dedicated to empowering Liberian students and professionals stressed the importance of perspective in a lecture at the FedEx Global Education Center Wednesday.

Syracuse University Assistant Professor Ken Harper is one founder of Together Liberia, a group of universities that works with Liberians to share their stories in the aftermath of the country’s violent civil war.

“We’re trying to encourage people to share their own stories, speak for themselves,” Harper said, adding that the organization has donated $20,000 worth of equipment for Liberians to use and create the stories on their own.

“No one knows your story like you do. You’re the expert,” Harper said.

But there are dangers involved with producing such stories.

Journalists in Liberia have been imprisoned due to the editorials they published, Harper said.

He mentioned one journalist who was subjected to death threats and forced into hiding when she reported on the traditional Liberian practice of female genital cutting. But her article led to the government’s criminalization of the practice.

Harper said although there is still much room for improvement, there are also many causes for hope.

“There is still a lot of poverty, but guess what? Kids can still smile. Moms can still give the look. People are falling in love. Artists are making art. Things are coming back. They are proud of their heritage and they are excited to share it with the world.”

Since the war, Liberians are becoming more outwardly involved in politics, sports and cultural events, as well as the production of news. One source of news, The Daily Talk, is produced on a chalkboard. People love to huddle around the board and debate, Harper said.

“The thirst for knowledge really moved me in ways that I didn’t even know I could be moved,” he said.

Peter Burke, a Carrboro resident, said he came to the event because he enjoys keeping up to date on events at UNC and thought hearing Harper would be interesting.

“The thing that I’ve seen with a lot of successful small scale programs is, like he said, forming relationships,” he said.

Chas Kissick, a senior studying quantitative biology and music, said he came to see his brother receive an award for his photography at a ceremony after the speech, but not for Harper’s speech itself.

“I wasn’t really expecting a talk like that,” he said. “It was really great.”

Harper said he hoped attendees came out of the event with something that resonated within them.

“Some people maybe need to be encouraged to quit being comfortable with a story that inspires them, by putting a fire under their eyes,” he said.

“Too many people are comfortable. Comfort makes you lazy.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.