INSPIRE-ASPIRE:

GINA BELAFONTE

"I THINK AS WOMEN THE BEST THING WE CAN DO FOR ALL OF US IS JUST TO CONTINUE TO DO OUR BEST AT WHAT WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND MAKE ROOM FOR OTHERS TO DO THE SAME."

Gina Belafonte’s career is a reflection of her passions and beliefs, a bridge between the arts and activism, focused on a central theme of interdependence. As Co-Founder and Co-Director of Sankofa.org, a social justice organization founded by her father Harry Belafonte, Gina works to help artists become activists by using their platforms to promote peace, justice and equality. By partnering artists like T.I., Chris Rock, Dave Matthews, and Carlos Santana with local grassroots organizations, Sankofa.org aims to use art to invoke action and peace through community engagement. Gina’s career journey is a reflection of these values and stands as its own intersectional testament to the two worlds.

Her entertainment background as an actress and producer now serves her current endeavors producing film, theatre, and television productions that focus on cultural content that has a mission and vision around liberation of people. Her documentary film ‘Sing Your Song’ about her father Harry Belafonte’s own career as an artist and activist has achieved international acclaim and was chosen to open the Sundance Film Festival in 2011. In addition to her production ventures and work with Sankofa.org, Gina has spent many years working on gang intervention and gang violence and co-founded the non-profit organization ‘The Gathering For Justice’ that focuses on youth incarceration and the criminalization of poverty.

I had the opportunity to meet Gina at the recent Women in The World Event in LA and am so honored to share her story with you here. In this interview, we talk about the path of self-discovery that led Gina to where she is today and her advice for women looking to create a conscious career path of their own. We discuss the roles self-responsibility, interdependence, and beliefs play in our lives and careers and talk about how to create meaningful change in the world from this place. I hope Gina’s words inspire you to dive deeper into what moves you and remind you of the capacity we all have to “Be the change!”