Uncrowned Community Builders

Belmira was born to the proud parents of Dessie Alicia Woolfolk of Richmond, VA and John Santos Hinto of Bravo, Cape Verde Islands, Portugal in April of 1932.

Belmira attended local Catholic and public schools, and was part of the youth choir at St. John's AME Church. Ms. Harris was a trained vocalist in classical and jazz genres. This training provided her with opportunities to perform with several renowned artists including Della Reese and Spider Martin, to name a few.

Belmira's creative artistry leaves one breathless, and spans across several medians, including but not limited to Danish Needle Painting, Oil Painting, Chalk Drawings, Glass Etching, Leather and Fabric Design. Her works have been on exhibit in Florida, Virginia, Texas, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, NY, USA and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. She was also known to create sculptured pieces from clay and other moldable materials. Belmira enjoyed selling her work under the moniker "Ma Bell". While Mrs. Harris passed away in April of 1999, she left behind a legacy of treasure pieces.

She was a member of the United Steelworkers of America. In addition, Belmira contributed to several non-profit organizations established for the betterment of under privileged youths.