Author Bio
Actor, producer and human rights activist, Isaiah Washington is an NAACP Image Award and Screen Actors Guild winning American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy.
After attending Howard University in Washington, D.C., Washington has been featured in four acclaimed Spike Lee films: Crooklyn, Clockers, Girl 6, and Get on the Bus. Other feature credits include Hurricane Season, True Crime, Romeo Must Die, Out of Sight, Ghostship, Welcome To Collinwood, Bulworth, Love Jones, Dead Presidents, Stonewall, Strictly Business and the acclaimed Dancing in September – a performance which earned him a nomination for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor.
On television, he has guest-starred in several series, including NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Homicide: Life on the Street, Ally McBeal, New York Undercover, Living Single, Soul Food, and Touched by an Angel.
But Washington’s impact extends beyond the entertainment industry. Inspired by the discovery of his direct genetic link to the peoples of Sierra Leone, Washington has become known for his philanthropy in Africa. In 2007, he founded the Gondobay Manga Foundation, which advocates cooperative planning to achieve positive, timely improvements in the lives of the people of Sierra Leone. In May 2006, during a visit to Sierra Leone, Washington was named Chief Gondobay Manga by the Mende people.
In November 2007, Washington and the Gondobay Manga Foundation opened its first school, Chief Foday Golia Memorial School, for 150 students in grades K-5. In addition to building the school, Washington and the Gondobay Manga Foundation also donated uniforms and school supplies for each student. In March 2007, Washington donated $25,000 to the computer reconstruction project of Bunce Island.
Washington’s interest in Africa also extends to Washington. He was the Master of Ceremonies for the first White House Summit on Malaria to fight the war against malaria in 15 African countries. Additionally, in September of 2008, he attended the 63rd United Nations General Assembly in New York City as an advisor to President Ernest Bai Koroma of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Website: www.gondobaymangafoundation.org