Ji-Tu Cumbuka

Ji-Tu Cumbaka
Born	March 4, 1942 (1942-03-04) (age 67) Montgomery, Alabama, USA
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1964-present

Ji-Tu Cumbuka (born March 4, 1942 in Montgomery County, Alabama, according to IMDb; some sources list his birthyear as 1941) is a veteran American veteran stage and screen actor and one of the many African American actors who overcame walls of adversity in the 60s.

Career Biography

Born in Alabama in an era of harsh racial oppression, Ji-Tu did not let cultural norms during his early years hold him back from what he loved. Opportunities were scarce for an African American actor of the 1940s and 1950s. Stereotypical roles such as house maids and the parody roles of minstrel shows were the roles that were commonly available in big-budget Hollywood, with the exception of lower-budgeted African-American themed films that were shown mostly in black theaters, particularly in the South. Being born in a society of black and white, Ji-Tu has helped re-define what the basis of the Civil Rights Movement was.

Early Years

Cumbaka saw his first movie Shane at the age of 12. The 1952 film classic stimulated his desire to become an actor. Receiving discouragement from all sides, from teachers laughing at his aspirations and suggesting he be more realistic to his father, a Baptist minister who believed acting was "the devil's work". Inspired by his mother who believed he could achieve any dream with God's help, he left home and moved to New York. After several difficult years he enlisted in the Army where he played football and ran track. Ji-Tu made All-Army in both sports. He was offered many college scholarships, but chose to attend Texas Southern.

Early career

After Texas Southern he felt it was time to move to California to continue to pursue his acting dreams. While working as an actor, Ji-Tu continued his education at Columbia College in New York City, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a Masters Degree in Cinematography. After three years of attending acting classes and acting in community plays and workshops he finally landed his first top role in the movie Up Tight! directed by the late director Jules Dassin.

Film and Television credits

Cumbuka has appeared in films such as Harlem Nights, Brewster's Millions, Mandingo and Bound for Glory, as well as minor appearances in 30 other films. One memorable performance is as former NBA guard Oscar Robertson in the bio-drama pic Maurie about the life and care of late former quadraplegic NBA forward Maurice Stokes. In television, Cumbuka appeared in major television productions such as Roots, Knots Landing, The A-Team, The Dukes of Hazzard, Walker Texas Ranger, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and co-starred with Robert Conrad in the 1970s spy series A Man Called Sloane. In all, Ji-Tu has made appearances in over 100 films and television series.

External links

• Ji-Tu Cumbuka at the Internet Movie Database
• Ji-Tu Cumbaka bio and filmography at VH1.com/movies