Taye Diggs Announced as Master of Ceremonies for the Belafonte Family Foundation's Inaugural Gala on October 24 at NYC's Sony Hall
Family Discusses Truths + Triumphs of Late Father and Organization on TODAY Show
The National Dance Institute Set To Perform
Support Equality & Create Opportunities for the Systemically Underserved w/ Gala Tix HERE
October 16, 2023 -- The Belafonte Family Foundation is thrilled to announce that renowned actor and entertainer Taye Diggs will serve as the master of ceremonies for its inaugural gala, scheduled to take place on October 24 at Sony Hall in New York City. With a career spanning across Broadway, television, and film, Diggs embodies the spirit of artistic excellence and advocacy, making him the perfect choice to lead the festivities for this momentous occasion. This significant event promises an unforgettable evening of celebration, philanthropy, tributes, and entertainment in support of the Foundation's mission to create access, opportunities, and progressive programs for historically underserved youth, adults, and underserved communities.
“It is my honor to serve as MC for the Belafonte Family Foundation’s Inaugural Gala,” says actor Taye Diggs. “Harry Belafonte helped open doors so that I could become who I wanted to become. I know it has been hard for the family to lose this man who, to us, was a legend, but to them so much more. Malena and David are continuing his work in their own way, and knowing that Harry Belafonte's legacy also lives on in his grandchildren is inspirational.”
"We are extremely excited to have Taye Diggs as the Master of Ceremonies of our inaugural gala," said David Belafonte, Co-Founder and Executive Director. "His passion for the arts and commitment to social causes align perfectly with the mission of the Belafonte Family Foundation. With Taye as MC we feel confident that our guests will have a truly remarkable evening, making it an inspiring and memorable event for everyone."
“We are equally delighted to have National Dance Institute as a special part of our evening,” said Malena Belafonte, Co-Founder and Vice President of the Board. “NDI has been a magical part of our family for years, especially when seeing it through the eyes of our own children. With such pride their grandpa would watch them perform on stages that he himself had performed on, and we are excited to have NDI perform in his honor. The Belafonte Family Foundation is proud to be supporting National Dance Institute’s mission, and creating many more beautiful moments together.”
"Harry Belafonte was a champion of National Dance Institute, having shared a decades-long friendship with our founder, Jacques d'Amboise. Together, they dreamed of a better world, each walking the walk and talking the talk throughout their extraordinary lives. We are deeply honored to be part of the Belafonte Family Foundation’s mission, and congratulate Amadeus, Sarafina, Malena and David for continuing the Belafonte legacy," said Kay Gayner, NDI's Artistic Director.
Established in 2020 by family members of world renowned artist and humanitarian Harry Belafonte, the Belafonte Family Foundation is led by his son and daughter-in-law co-founders David and Malena Belafonte, and their children Sarafina and Amadeus Belafonte. Harlem-born Harry Belafonte, who passed earlier this year, inspired his family to commit to vital, lifelong work toward social justice. The foundation honors his spirit, and the work of countless people who selflessly devoted themselves to the betterment of the human condition.
The Belafonte Family Foundation is built around multiple pillars, focusing on areas of support that are critical for human development and success: education, mentorship, food justice, mental health, arts and other areas that are needed to help a person reach their full potential. Education, mentorship, food justice, mental health, arts, health, humanity & well-being. All of the pillars are connected through a red thread which is currently addressed by two of the foundation’s innovative programs: Bright Road Farms, an urban, vertical farming initiative which supplies organically and locally grown greens to underserved communities and food deserts. This distributed farming network, operated in cooperation with Freight Farms, provides nutritional food produced year-round and in any climate. Bright Road Martial Arts recognizes the mentorship and power of martial arts disciplines which improves lives through self-control, self-discovery, and self-respect, offered to qualifying at-risk youth in partnership with leading academies and instructors. Serving over 100 students this summer and fall, between New York and the Dominican Republic alone.
To improve educational opportunities, BFF is establishing academic scholarships for students in underserved areas to attend secondary or university educations. Awards are based on educational merit and economic need, with a focus on scholarships for students of color. Several high school graduates from the poorest regions of the Caribbean will be given full scholarships to local universities, inclusive of transportation, food, books and other expenses. Those who have received a scholarship will be announced at the gala. Aligned with the foundation’s multi-generational approach, BFF is also creating programs that focus on social justice, wrongful incarceration, sex trafficking, the arts, mental health and wellness.
ABOUT THE BELAFONTE FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Belafonte Family Foundation (established in 2020) is a public charitable foundation with an innovative approach to creating access and opportunity for historically underserved, marginalized youth, adults, and communities across racial, gender, and economic lines. The organization focuses on progressive programming and resources, structured around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Created by a family whose lives are devoted to serving others, the Belafonte Family Foundation has taken a multi-generational approach to philanthropy formed around pillars critical to human development and success: education, opportunity, mentorship, arts, and health & well-being. Its innovative programs address the deeply imbalanced socio-economic playing field, promoting access and opportunities for improving lives.
ABOUT TAYE DIGGS
Taye Diggs is an award-winning actor known for his TV, Broadway, and film roles. He is also a children's book author and a Child Literacy Ambassador with the National Head Start Association. Diggs’ film credits include The Best Man, Rent, Chicago, Brown Sugar, The House on Haunted Hill, Go, Drum, Cake, and Malibu’s Most Wanted among others. He can be seen on the TV series All American as "Coach Billy Baker," and in the indie Netflix film, Set It Up. An acclaimed stage actor, Diggs starred in the title role in Broadway’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, becoming the first African American to play Hedwig in New York. His theatre credits include A Soldier’s Play, Wicked, Chicago, The Wild Party, Rent, and Carousel.
ABOUT NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE:
National Dance Institute (NDI) was founded in 1976 by New York City Ballet principal dancer Jacques d’Amboise, and leads the field of arts education with a program that has been studied and replicated worldwide. At the root of NDI’s methodology is the belief that the arts have a unique power to engage children of diverse backgrounds, abilities, and socio-economic positions, and motivate them toward excellence in all aspects of their lives. NDI’s goal is to support the social and emotional development of children through active, participatory arts experiences. We celebrate the creative, confident, and compassionate young adults who emerge from our program with a strong sense of self and an enduring belief in their ability to succeed. Since our founding, NDI has impacted the lives of more than two million children.
www.belafontefamilyfoundation.org
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For more information, please contact Rebecca Shapiro, Alena Joyiens, Jerome Ware, and Casey Hansen at (BelafonteFamilyFoundation@shorefire.com)