Artists, activists, cultural leaders and changemakers gathered on Sunday evening at Chaplin Studios in Los Angeles for the first Sankofa.org Social Justice Awards. Held on what would have been the 99th birthday of legendary entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte, the inaugural fundraiser paid tribute to his enduring legacy while honoring contemporary leaders whose work challenges injustice and ignites change.
The event was held at the site, formerly known as A&M Studios, where Belafonte played a key role in the 1985 recording session that produced USA for Africa’s “We Are the World.”
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“This night is about honoring legacy and living courage,” said Gina Belafonte, co-founder and president of Sankofa.org (and Harry Belafonte’s daughter). “It’s about artists and organizers, truth-tellers and bridge-builders who have used their voices not for comfort, but for conscience. We cannot afford to surrender to the chaos designed to exhaust and distract us. We must innovate when they stagnate, activate when they attempt to paralyze us, and come together when they try to divide us. We gathered not just in celebration, but to recommit. To each other. To justice. To imagination. To the future we are building together.”
The event opened with a Sankofa.org film presentation and a choral performance by the Fernando Pullum Choir. Gina Belafonte delivered opening remarks that underscored the organization’s mission. “This inaugural Los Angeles fundraiser is a celebration of legacy and marks an important milestone for Sankofa.org,” she said. “My father believed that artists are the gatekeepers of truth. Our honorees remind us that art doesn’t just reflect the times — it helps change them.”
The program recognized trailblazers across music, visual art, film and grassroots organizing.
- Actor Danny Glover was on hand to receive an award for his lifetime of activism and storytelling.
- Contemporary artist Shepard Fairey — whose Barack Obama “Hope” image became instantly iconic — was presented with an award recognizing his bold fusion of art and political expression.
- Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, who at 95 was a contemporary of Harry Belafonte’s, was celebrated in a tribute led by artist Douglas Miles, honoring her decades of leadership in labor rights and social justice movements.
- Hip-hop pioneer Chuck D of Public Enemy participated in a Q&A and tribute presentation before receiving his award recognizing the role of hip-hop as a vehicle for truth and transformation.
Music for a listening session was curated by Gina Belafonte was hosted by Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest and journalist Dominique DiPrima.
The event included performances and conversations featuring Chuck D; poet Monique Mitchell; Iman Jordan, the 2025 Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Grammy recipient for co-writing and performing “Deliver”; and Grammy-nominated artist Aloe Blacc. Blacc closed the event with a rendition of “Not on My Watch” alongside Gina Belafonte (Harry Belafonte’s granddaughter) and the Fernando Pullum Children’s Choir before accepting the inaugural Passing the Baton Award from actor and activist Jesse Williams and performing his signature song, “Wake Me Up.”
Guests included producer and activist Maria Cuomo Cole; entrepreneur and political strategist Mark Skidmore; hip-hop artivist Maya Jupiter; filmmaker Maria Belafonte; and poet, prison activist, and scholar Bryonn Bain. On display was Sankofa.org and collaborating partner Made New Foundation’s Virtual Reality Reentry program for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated families.
Founded in 2013 by Harry Belafonte, Gina Belafonte, and Raoul Roach, Sankofa.org seeks to educate, motivate, and activate artists and allies in service of grassroots movements and equitable change. Proceeds from the event will support Sankofa.org’s mission to dismantle systemic violence, advance restorative justice initiatives, and champion meaningful reforms for immigration policy and a livable minimum wage.