by Allyson Ribar

Created on: April 18, 2008   Last Updated: May 01, 2008

Donald Frank Cheadle was born on November 29th, 1964 in Kansas City, Missouri to parents, Betty whowas a bank manager and psychology teacher, Donald Cheadle, a clinical psychologist. Cheadle graduated from East High School in Denver, Colorado and then went on to attend California Institute of the Arts earning a BA.

While interested in music, Cheadle went to many acting auditions and was awarded many parts. Television shows that he was a part of include Hill Street Blues, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Fame, The Golden Palace, Hill Street Blues, Mad TV, The Colbert Report, and E.R. Cheadle was also a part of NFL commercials. Cheadle was first widley recognized for his part in films in Devil in a Blue Dress, and also had many parts in movies such as Hamburger Hill, Out of Sight, Boogie Nights, Traffic, Swordfish, Rush Hour2, and Ocean's Eleven. Cheadle has had a prolific career appearing in many roles.

In 2004, Cheadle starred in Hotel Rwanda as hotel manager, Paul Rusesabagina, who saved many people from murder in Kigali, Rwanda. This was a life changing role for Cheadle who was now aware of atrocities going on in Africa. In January of 2005, Cheadle traveled to Sudan with five members of Congress to see refuge camps and survivors of genocide for himself. He wanted to be empathetic to the people who expreienced such things as having been attacked and then having to travel along miles of desert to find a refugee camp. Cheadle wanted global attention to the crisis in Darfur which began in 2003 when Sudanese rebels attacked government property and started the genocide of masses of people. Families were killed or torn apart. Women were raped. People were tortured and more than 200,000 people have been displaced. Cheadle wanted to bring this crisis to the Americans and internationaly. At that time, little media coverage of Darfur was being presented to Americans. This genocide was called the "world's worst humanitarian crisis" by the United Nations. Cheadle co-authored "Not on our Watch:The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond" and was a part of the documentary "Darfur Now" which presents different points of view.

In an age when the public is celebrity obsessed and materialistic, Cheadle has the courage to be a voice for the downtrodden, bringing awarness to genocide and the plight of those involved in the Darfur Crisis. He is also campaigning to bring it to its end. It is easy to forget how many people that are in this world who have unfortunate or horrific circumstances in life. Humanity is bettered by people like Don Cheadle, who, when witnessing people in turmoil and crisis can be motivated to help and to tell others to help.

Don Cheadle has proven himself to be a Person of Courage.

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