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| Isaiah Washington |
HUMAN RESOURCE - Philanthropy
Charity In Self-Realization
Be a good example for the youth of
today and watch how your actions
are passed on for a lifetime.
The obstacles in life are not always negative. Information
found or passed down by others may not
be a hindrance, but in fact a blessing. Sometimes
when we get to know ourselves better, it’s easier
for us to give part of ourselves to another. Today
we look at a person who wanted to know more about who
he was and in turn ended up giving more, which eventually
taught him more about himself.
Starring in the film “Patriots” and former star of “Grey’s
Anatomy” and “Bionic Woman”, Isaiah Washington didn’t
start off as an actor, even though it was his ambition. A native
of Houston, Texas, after graduating from Willowridge
High School, he decided to serve four years in the United
States Air Force. It was after serving that he enrolled in
Howard University where he studied drama. Loving the
work and getting great roles at school, he decided to try
his luck in New York. Starting off on the stage, he appeared
in impressive productions, one being Thorton Wilder’s
“The Skin of Our Teeth.” Following a love affair with theater,
Washington decided to help with the creation of a
theater group which visited various high schools around
New York. Called the CityKid’s Repertory and still running,
this program takes issues from CityKid’s programs and
turns them into relevant dramas.
Wanting to look further into his bloodline, he took a
genetics test just to see where his ancestors might have
come from. Learning that he was from the Mende people
in Sierra Leone, he founded the Gondobay Manga Foundation.
His goal, and that of the foundation’s, is to achieve
improvements in the lives of those in Sierra Leone. With a
foundation that started in 2005, by November 2007, Washington,
in collaboration with the foundation, opened its
first school called the Chief Foday Golia Memorial School.
The focus was not only on his school but other educational
resources that surrounded it. Earlier in 2007, Washington
donated over $25,000 dollars to a computer reconstruction
program on Bunce Island a past former trading post.
Though he has done a lot abroad, he also keeps in
mind that there are things at home that can be improved.
He chose to help out through the arts. Learn what he has
done in regards to Coalhouse Productions, a company devoted
to creating art that challenges the mind.
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