As we navigate the waters that come along with the furtherance of a legacy that deserves its place both in history and on the horizon… I thought it perhaps valuable to give some context as to how we got to where we are as of this writing.
I have never known a world that didn’t involve some connection to a higher purpose… a cause, a mission. When my father was in the throes of the civil rights movement, scale rarely proved to be an obstacle when it came to the belief that the mission could actually be achieved. Personal sacrifice was usually a given in the equation handed to those who were charged with finding answers and solutions.
Given the state of the world we are currently living in, its abundantly clear that not only was the “mission” they were on under-accomplished, but the sights that were rightly set on changing policy could never be truly meaningful unless the underlying socio-psychological paradigm en mass shifted in tandem. Well we know how THAT worked out. Takeaway… the work is never done.
For us at the Belafonte Family Foundation a large part of the mission is to re-shape the mission. Infuse team play and cooperation and find a return on investment that comes in the form of accomplishment, tangible results, and the primal satisfaction that comes with making things happen as a collective.
When I graduated from High School, my path gravitated away from the traditional norm followed by most in my peer group in relation to educational pursuits. The world I knew as a Belafonte held great interest for me and offered phenomenal opportunity. Over the subsequent 40+ years, I learned invaluable professional skill sets in the world of music, theater, and film/TV production at the highest level, was offered the gift of world travel and exposure to things that come along once, if at all, in a lifetime. I spent the better part of my adult and professional career working along side and in tandem with my father, both in and outside of the arts arena on a global scale.
Needless to say these years culminated in who I am and what the Belafonte Family Foundation aspires to be… Steadfast in its mission while generous but pragmatic in its choices and execution.
As stated in our mission, we are in the fundamental stages of creating a foundation that will continue to serve future generations by encouraging and encompassing the involvement, passion, and creativity of our younger generation. While Harry’s legacy in human struggle and advocacy for policy change serves as the root from which we will grow, we must widen and deepen our areas of service and influence in order to offer opportunity and health & wellness to current and future generations that will benefit as that change is realized.
I proudly embark on this journey with my remarkable wife and partner, our two amazing children, and the list of men and women who have graciously agreed to be a part of the BFF vision.
DB