Brian Banks, a high school football star whose athletic career was derailed when he was wrongly imprisoned, will speak as part of Missouri Western State University’s Standing In Your Truth Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, in the Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall 101. The lecture is free and open to the public.
In 2002, Banks was a high school football star at Long Beach Polytechnic High School who had committed to play collegiately at the University of Southern California. After being falsely accused of rape by a classmate, he spent more than five years in prison. His conviction was overturned in 2012 after his accuser was secretly recorded admitting she had fabricated the story.
Following his exoneration, Banks tried out for several NFL teams, playing in all four preseason games for the Atlanta Falcons before being let go in the team’s final roster cut before the 2013 regular season. He currently works for the NFL’s operations department.
Now a prominent activist against wrongful convictions, Banks has assisted in the exoneration of two wrongfully convicted men and travels to schools, organizations and events across the country to share his story, offer lessons he’s learned and advocate for justice for all.
The Stand In Your Truth Lecture Series is sponsored by the Center for Student Involvement at Missouri Western.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.