Actress and artivist Gina Belafonte leading change through expression

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Ivy Tech Community College’s annual “Doing the Dream” event has invited engaging speakers for the past 21 years. Each of them has brought messages of inspiration, hope, and change. But this year’s event had a twist.

The evening originally was scheduled to feature Sonia Sanchez, a leading figure in the Black Arts movement and accomplished poet. But illness got in the way. Fortunately, Sanchez had a friend willing to step in – Gina Belafonte.

The crowd in the college’s Hingst Hall had no idea how fortunate they were. Belafonte, an actress, artivist, and daughter of the legendary singer and actor, Harry Belafonte, came prepared to show everyone what “Doing the Dream” really means.

Belafonte sat down for an interview before the event, sharing her passion and desire to make a change for the better not just in her community or her nation, but the entire world. And it all boils down to “artivism”; doing something creative to end the injustices that hold people down.

“An artivist is someone who is an artist and an activist and uses both of those platforms together,” said Belafonte. “I run an organization called sankofa.org that was founded by my father and Raul Roach, who is the son of Max Roach the drummer, and myself.

“We sit at the intersection of art and activism. We develop, create, and produce cultural content that is mission driven, that is issue-based. We focus on mass incarceration, income disparity, immigration, and violence. We hope to use our cultural content as a tool to educate, motivate, and activate artists and allies in service of movements and social change.”

Belafonte spent years following in her father’s footsteps. She is an accomplished actress who as appeared on stage and screens big and small. And she is equally adept behind the camera, producing and directing her art. Activism, however, is at the heart of her art today.

To that end, she explained how Sankofa is working to change minds and spur action.

“We've done a lot of really wonderful things,” said Belafonte. “We had a wonderful festival called the Many Rivers to Cross Festival in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, in 2016 where 23,000 people came through over two days.

“We had Dave Matthews, Carlos Santana, Macklemore, TI, John Legend. We had a lot of artists come through, and in between the artist sets, instead of having DJs, we had speakers like Angela Davis and Rashad Robinson, and we had a social justice village where 50 organizations throughout the state came to the table so the guests could learn more about what was going on. We focused on voter suppression and mass incarceration and to get out the vote.”

Sankofa’s activities may have played some role in moving Georgia’s electorate closer to the middle of the political spectrum, but politics are a corollary subject. The idea, Belafonte explained, is to reinforce the freedoms people enjoy and to share those freedoms with everyone, regardless of background or circumstance.

If politics are affected by this, it is all the better.

“N1NE,” a video project developed by Sankofa.

“We collaborated on events that have been profoundly impactful,” said Belafonte. “We work with an organization called Four Freedoms, where we did a 50-state initiative. We took over billboards in all 50 states, where different artists were able to use this predominant platform for advertising, to advertise political consequence and messages of hope.

“We worked on reclaiming Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms - freedom from fear, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom of speech. We took the tableaus that he made in his art that he used to sell for war bonds, and we recast them with different races, different cultural backgrounds, with same-sex parents, with single parents. We did the tableaus in different ways and ended up getting the cover of Time magazine.”

Sankofa isn’t a large organization, Belafonte said. It relies upon collaboration with other groups and movements to make an impact. To date, the work has been effective, she believes. As evidence, she pointed to a re-entry program Sankofa spearheaded that is focused upon reducing recidivism.

“We're very proud of a virtual reality re-entry program for formerly incarcerated men and women,” said Belafonte. “When they come home, they have an opportunity to acclimate back into society, which helps to quell the trauma triggers.

“Our virtual reality program will go into these transition homes and also inside prisons, where we help folks learn things like what a QR code is. They've been away for so long they don't know how to get a Metro card in Los Angeles, how to get a parking pass at a kiosk for your car so you don't get towed. Also, how to de-escalate conflict with a roommate if you have different points of view. It's interactive, and it's been an opportunity to really support men and women who are coming home so that they have a little bit more of an ease acclimating back home.”

Sankofa’s local and national efforts to increase voter turnout take place every year. But it can’t be just sitting at a table at a street fair. To truly engage voters, Belafonte again relies upon art.

“Against the Wall,” a video short addressing police brutality against African Americans, 2017

“One of our biggest campaigns, and one of my favorites, is a civics campaign where we work with young artists between the ages of 15 to 30 years old. We help them develop, create, and produce cultural content that is in short form. It can be video content; and usually it's either live action or animation.

“We'll contact young people who are interested in civics. We ask them, ‘What's on your heart? What, for you, is important?’ Then we pair that issue with a poet or an illustrator or a filmmaker, and they work together to come up with content that is less than three minutes.”

That content gets spread across social media, and the artists are encouraged to participate in panel discussions, bringing friends and neighbors together to exchange ideas and listen.

“Not only do they get to express themselves in ways that they find interesting and exciting, but they learn more deeply about the issue that they're wanting to shine a light on,” said Belafonte. “They become sort of ambassadors for the issue, and they didn't even realize it. They become powerfully knowledgeable about climate change or water resources or police brutality.”

All of this work was placed at risk in January when a new political regime took power in the U.S. Overnight, government was transformed into a weapon to destroy the concepts of diversity, equality, and inclusion. It is nothing new for Belafonte or those marginalized. It has taken place as long as the nation has existed.

“Are You Okay?” a video short addressing emotional isolation, 2023.

But it is important to protect oneself in times such as these, Belafonte expressed.

“A lot of activists are deeply aware of how to develop and create self-care,” said Belafonte. “Otherwise, we would burn ourselves out to the point of having to excuse ourselves from movement organizing for a while. I think now we've found ways in which to balance. One of the tactics that we've been using for a long time is leaning more into listening to what folks have to say.

“What are the differences? How do we use our skills as loving humans to actually listen to each other and find resolution and to come together? There are new strategies that need to be developed, that will be developed, that are being developed, and I'm hopeful that more people will open their eyes to what's going on.”

Belafonte believes that a lack of information plays into oppressive philosophies. But the people won’t be able to remain uninformed about how the recent change in governing will impact things.

“They are not remaining uninformed because they're seeing how what is happening is affecting them,” said Belafonte. “I think a lot of people thought something different was going to happen in this election, which is why many people chose to vote for this particular regime.

“As it continues, their eyes will be opened as well, and they will see how their bottom line will be affected, how their schools and healthcare will be affected, and how it will be more difficult for them to get eggs and fruit and cheese and vegetables.”

Still, it is hard to combat a narrow majority who have chosen division and discrimination over the equality and unity evoked by the words of the founders of the nation. Belafonte returns to art and expression as a solution.

“I certainly don't have all the answers,” said Belafonte. “I think lyrics in a song can move a soul. I think there are films and artists that can use their platforms more diligently to speak out on specific issues and risk their bottom line so that they can inform their fans as to what is happening. I think that humor is a way to engage hearts. I think art really is the answer in so many ways.

“Art inspires me all the time. I look to see where art can bring me peace and joy and celebration. My father used to say artists are the gatekeepers of truth, and we're civilization’s radical voice. It's important for artists to continue to be inspired, and often, when things are at their worst, some of the best art is born out of that.”