Gina Belafonte (born September 8, 1961) is an American actress, film and stage producer, and civil rights activist. The youngest daughter of singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte,[1] she has appeared in such films as Bright Lights, Big City, Tokyo Pop (both 1988), and BlacKkKlansman (2018). Belafonte served as a producer on Sing Your Song, a 2011 documentary film about her father. She co-founded The Gathering for Justice, a nonprofit organization whose aim is to end child incarceration and eliminate the racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and is the CEO of Sankofa.org, a nonprofit founded by her father.[1]
Early life
Belafonte was born on September 8, 1961, at Mount Sinai Hospital[2] in New York City, New York, to Harry Belafonte and his then-wife Julie Robinson Belafonte.[1] As a young child, she visited Africa as well as the West Indies.[3] At age six, Gina Belafonte attended the Ethical Culture School in New York City alongside her brother David.[4]
Partial filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Beat Street | Elizabeth | [5] | |
| 1988 | Bright Lights, Big City | Kathy | [6][7] | |
| Tokyo Pop | Holly | [6][8] | ||
| 1989 | Drawing the Line: A Portrait of Keith Haring | Narrator | Short documentary film | [9] |
| 1996 | Kansas City | Hey-Hey Club Hostess | ||
| 1998 | Operation Splitsville | Bernice | ||
| 2011 | Sing Your Song | Self | Documentary film; also producer | [10] |
| 2016 | Courting Des Moines | Senator Gina Piccollo | ||
| 2018 | BlacKkKlansman | Gina B. | ||
| 2024 | The Lost Holliday | Meredith Clayton-Perrineau |
Television
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | All My Children | Polly | 1 episode |
| 1991–1993 | The Commish | Carmela Pagan | 33 episodes |
| 1997 | Duckman | Wanda | Voice role; episode: "Aged Heat 2: Women in Heat" |
| Johnny Bravo | Newscaster / Computer | Voice roles; episode: "Hip Hop Flop/Talk to Me, Baby/Blanky Hanky Panky" |
References
- ^ a b c "Gina Belafonte". Sankofa.org. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ "Stork Visits Belafontes". The Black Dispatch. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. September 22, 1961. p. 5. Retrieved May 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Belafontes Are a Closely Knit Family". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. September 3, 1967. p. C-6. Retrieved May 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ingle, Martha (January 5, 1968). "Belafontes Not 'Mixed' Couple --Just Perfectly Matched Pair". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. 1-C. Retrieved May 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Breaking Smiles". Jet. Vol. 66, no. 2. March 19, 1984. p. 42. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Briefly". Anderson Independent-Mail. Anderson, South Carolina. November 29, 1987. p. 4. Retrieved May 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gina Belafonte: Film Execs Think That She's Too Light". Jet. Vol. 74, no. 3. April 18, 1988. p. 53. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ Baltake, Joe (April 19, 1988). "A sweet heart beat to 'Tokyo Pop'". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. p. B9. Retrieved May 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Reading Public Museum (2006). Keith Haring: Journey of the Radiant Baby. Bunker Hill Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 978-1593730529.
- ^ Dargis, Manohla (January 12, 2012). "Movie Review | 'Sing Your Song' – Struggle and Song Define a Life". The New York Times. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
Further reading
- Browley, Jasmine (February 4, 2022). "Gina Belafonte Is Aiming To Continue Her Father's Equity Rights Work With Virtual Reality Mental Health Program". Essence. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
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