In Memoriam : Harry Belafonte – activist, singer, actor (1927 – 2023)

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Harry Belafonte, the singer, actor and civil rights activist who broke down racial barriers, has died.

He was 96.

Harry Belafonte passes away

Belafonte died Tuesday morning of congestive heart failure, according to reports.

Legendary singer, actor, and activist

Born to Jamaican immigrants in Harlem, Belafonte was dubbed the “King of Calypso” after the groundbreaking success of his 1956 hit, “The Banana Boat Song (Day-O).” He also became a movie star after acting in the film adaption of the Broadway musical, “Carmen Jones.” He was also the first actor to be in an interracial relationship on-screen, starring in Island in the Sun in 1957.

But Belafonte’s biggest contributions was as an activist. After meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the early ’50s, Belafonte developed a close friendship with the prominent civil rights leader. The two worked together on political and social causes, including a campaign against apartheid in South Africa, the for the fight against HIV/AIDS, and became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He also came up with the idea for recording the 1985 hit song, “We Are the World.”

Over the past two decades, he founded the Gathering For Justice in 2005 “to end child incarceration and eliminate racial inequities in the justice system.” He also co-founded Sankofa.org with his daughter Gina Belafonte and Raoul Roach in 2015 “to educate, motivate, and activate artists and allies in service of grassroots movements and equitable change.”

Harry Belafonte received multiple awards

He received multiple awards, including The Albert Einstein Award from Yeshiva University and the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize.

Belafonte was also the first recipient of the Nelson Mandela Courage Award. In 1994, President Clinton honored him at the White House with the National Medal of Arts for his contributions to our nation’s cultural life.

The last honor Belafonte received was in 2022 when he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and took home the Early Influence Award.

Cherish his memory

Belafonte is survived by his wife Pamela, his children Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafonte, David Belafonte, and two stepchildren, Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank. He also leaves behind eight grandchildren: Rachel Blue Biesemeyer, Brian Biesemeyer, Maria Belafonte McCray, Sarafina Belafonte, Amadeus Belafonte, Mateo Frank, Olive Scanga, and Zoe Frank.