Screen capture from BlacKkKlansman Movie

Foundations

"A thousand years from now I won't even equate. Nobody will even know I was here. But that's alright. What is important is who knew me while I was here and what did I do to touch their lives in a way that brought them to a better place."

Harry Belafonte, from The History Makers

I was originally aiming to make a page called "Legacy" but really - there would be no end to that.

You can look anywhere to find more information on the multiple organizations Harry was part of in his life - from being one of the earliest and longest-standing Unicef Goodwill Ambassadors to his work with Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement, to being an advisor to John F. Kennedy's Peace Corps, to raising awareness and support against South African apartheid, to spear-heading "We Are The World" to being a mentor to modern activists....

So instead, here, I have decided to focus on foundations directly related to himself and his family.

Harry's Organizations

There are two organizations that Mr. B. started and felt comfortable enough to pass on to others to care for - The Gathering for Justice, and Sankofa

The Gathering for Justice

In 2005, Mr. B saw a news report that shook him to his core: a 5-year-old Black girl was handcuffed and arrested in her classroom for being “unruly.” The image of such a young child treated like a criminal ignited in him a sense of urgency to confront the systemic injustice of child incarceration. He called together a Gathering of Elders, uniting seasoned activists and community leaders to examine what went wrong, and visualize a path forward.

He then organized a Gathering of the Young, creating a space for youth to speak out, create their own agenda, be heard, and in doing so, cultivate the power within themselves to demand change.

Out of these meetings, The Gathering for Justice was born. Carmen Perez spearheaded the foundation for 20 years, continuing to fight for systemic reform while empowering communities and young people to build a more just and equitable society. In 2025, at the 20th Anniversary Celebration, she passed on the baton to DeJuana Thompson.

It's really worth the time to check out this great organization and the work they are doing on the ground.

There's great video on their About Us page that's worth a visit - I'm guessing done for the 10th anniversary.

Sankofa.org

Sankofa.org represents an approach to activism and justice that is deeply rooted in culture: it uses storytelling, art, and creativity to challenge structural injustices. For communities that have historically been marginalized or silenced, cultural expression can be a powerful way to galvanize solidarity and change.

Sankofa was co-founded by, and is currently run by Harry's youngest daughter Gina.

Focus: Tools are creative and rooted in the community. The organization is "inspired by Mr. Belafonte’s use of art as a tool for social change by leveraging the arts, the entertainment world, and justice-oriented thought leadership to influence public thinking, popular culture, and policy."

Other Family Organizations

Anir Foundation

Adrienne Belafonte Biesmeyer, Harry's oldest daughter, and her daughter Rachael Blue started Anir Foundation in 1997.

As News broke about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa, they felt they had to do something; lots of organization gave money to a problem, but few gave people the chance to make a difference with their own two hands.

The Anir Foundation strives to strengthen programs in underserved communities that work towards empowering women and girls and programs working towards eradicating poverty and illiteracy.

The Foundation is divided into two programs, Anir Experience and Serengeti Goddess. Both offer trip packages, either for Education and responsible tourism vacation, volunteer work (Anir), or for life coaching (Serengti Goddess).

Anir Experience was created to help North Americans learn there is a world beyond the USA, Canada and Europe, by creating volunteer work and specialized global education programs that will move attitudes towards open-mindedness and away from bigotry, hatred and prejudice exacerbated by ignorance.

Serengeti Goddess (SG) is an extension of Anir Experience with concentrations on women's and children's health, education for girls, and sustainable work projects spearheaded by women. SG focuses on Women’s health and wellbeing through programs of empowerment, self-reliance, resilience, and finding the Goddess within.

BFF - the Belafonte Family Foundation

More recently, Harry's son David, along with his wife Malena and children Sarafina and Amadeus, created an inter-generational public foundation. Their goal is to "create access and offer pathways forward to a better life" to the "historically underserved, marginalized youth, adults and communities across racial, gender, and economic lines" through a number of programs, scholarships, initiatives, etc.

An article with the Belafonte's - A Family Affair

Information on their first Gala, October 24, 2023 -
Belafonte Family Foundation Wraps Inaugural Gala with a Night of Inspiration and Philanthropy at NYC’s Sony Hall

BFF Website

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