by Stephanie Modkins

Created on: April 16, 2008   Last Updated: May 01, 2008

Don Cheadle is a Golden Globe Award-winning actor who is raising awareness about the war in Darfur. This war is a conflict between tribal and ethnic groups in the western area of Sudan. It is fueled by over population, desertification and regional politics. So far, it is estimated that over 200,000 people have been slaughtered in this fight making it one of the largest genocides of the 21st century.

The death toll in Darfur is staggering. It is an atrocity: the slaying of innocent blood. Yet, it is a war that at one time outsiders to the region largely ignored. So how did Cheadle get involved in the struggle? It all began in Kansas City, Missouri.

Born on November 29, 1964 in Kansas City, Missouri, to a bank manager and clinical psychologist, Cheadle engaged in the arts (music and acting) as early as age five. Gradually, his interest turned into a passion and led him to study at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. After graduation, Cheadle made his first film debut in "Moving Violations." The year was 1985 and it was the starting point of a successful Hollywood career.

Over the next two decades, Don Cheadle played memorable roles in several films earning him the respect and admiration of his peers and a growing fan base. "Traffic" is a film in which Cheadle starred in that moviegoers will never forget. Yet, it was his 2004 movie "Hotel Rwanda" that Don Cheadle himself will never forget.

"Hotel Rwanda" documented the life of hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his heroic efforts to stop the innocent slaying of the Rwandan people. Cheadle played the part of this hotelier and it was through this role he learned of the Darfur genocide. After the filming stopped, unable to return to business as usual, Cheadle began raising awareness about the plight of the Darfur people.

Through political activism and charity, Cheadle thrust the Darfur genocide into center stage. As a result, he has been able to raise thousands of dollars in charity and sit before the Senate on behalf of Darfur victims. His behavior is now parallel to the heroic hotelier he played in "Hotel Rwanda"; Cheadle is risking his Hollywood reputation and comfortable lifestyle in an effort save the lives of others. It is an act that should not go unrecognized.

For his humanitarian work, Don Cheadle was selected as the "Person of Courage." It is a well-deserved honor for a man who chose to face the ugliness of war in an effort to help save lives. For the first time in his life, outside of the Hollywood arena, Cheadle is showing us all what it truly means to be a star. May his continue on in the hearts of people until the Darfur genocide ends.

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