…Researched and contributed by Lola Smith for TDPel Media.
Harry Belafonte, a singer, actor, and activist, passed away at the age of 96 at his home in Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
The cause of his death was congestive heart failure, according to his spokesman.
Born in New York’s Harlem neighborhood, Belafonte moved to Jamaica with his family before returning to the US to attend high school.
He began his entertainment career with his hit song “Banana Boat,” which featured his signature song “Day O.”
He later turned to political activism and was heavily involved in the US civil rights movement in the 1960s.
Breakthroughs in Racially Segregated Entertainment
Belafonte was known as the “King of Calypso” in the early stages of his career.
He was the first Black person to perform in many plush nightspots and achieved racial breakthroughs in movies at a time when segregation was rampant in much of the United States.
For example, in the 1954 film “Island in the Sun,” his character entertained the idea of a relationship with a white woman played by Joan Fontaine.
This reportedly triggered threats to burn down theaters in the American South.
In the 1959 film “Odds Against Tomorrow,” Belafonte played a bank robber with a racist partner.
Activism and Humanitarian Work
In the 1980s, Belafonte worked to end apartheid in South Africa and arranged Nelson Mandela’s first visit to the United States.
He was also a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, in 1987 and later founded an AIDS foundation.
In 2014, he was awarded an Academy Award for his humanitarian work.
“We Are the World”
In the 1980s, Belafonte provided the driving force behind “We Are the World,” a 1985 musical collaboration featuring all-star musicians that raised funds for famine relief in Ethiopia.
He was inspired by the British supergroup Band Aid’s fundraising song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” from a year earlier.
“We Are the World” raised millions of dollars and featured artists such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, and Diana Ross.
Belafonte’s Legacy
Belafonte was the first Black performer to win a significant Emmy in 1960, for his appearance on a television variety special.
He also received Grammy Awards in 1960 and 1965 and a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2000.
Despite his many achievements, Belafonte voiced frustration at the limitations imposed on Black artists in the entertainment industry.
He was married three times and had four children.
Commentary
Harry Belafonte was an icon in the entertainment industry and a champion for civil rights and humanitarian causes.
He used his platform to raise awareness and funds for issues affecting marginalized communities around the world.
His contributions to the music industry, his activism, and his humanitarian work will be remembered as a significant part of his legacy.
Belafonte’s passing is a loss for the industry and for those whose lives he touched with his art and activism.