Harry Belafonte, pioneering performer and activist, passes away at 96

Harry Belafonte the superstar entertainer who introduced a Caribbean flair to mainstream US music and became well known for his deep personal investment in civil rights passed away Tuesday in Manhattan He was 96The barrierbreaking artistactivist succumbed to congestive heart failure at his New York home his publicist said in a statementBorn in Harlem to a Jamaican mother and a father from the French territory of Martinique the calypso singer and actor spent part of his childhood in Jamaica before returning to New York a binational upbringing that shaped his musical and political outlooks and saw him campaign tirelessly for racial equalityBelafontes calypso the genre of Caribbean music that drew from West African and French influences saw him skyrocket to fame in the midst of postWorld War II prosperity and suburbanizationHis third album entitled Calypso released in 1956 became the first LP to sell more than one million copies in the United StatesThe album featured what would become Belafontes signature song DayO The Banana Boat Song he scoffed at the idea it was simply feelgood dance music calling the track a rebellious take on workers demanding fair wagesBelafonte used his platform in almost a subversive way because he would sneak messages in there revolutionary messages crooner John Legend said Tuesday at a Time magazine eventWhen people just thought he was singing about good times and the islands he was always infusing messages of protest and revolution in everything he didLegend was one of many from all walks of American life to send tributes singers politicians and activists hailed Belafontes talent advocacy and trailblazing contributionsHarry Belafonte was not only a great entertainer but he was a courageous leader in the fight against racism and worker oppression progressive senator Bernie Sanders wroteStruggleEven early in his career Belafonte did not shy away from controversyHe starred in the 1957 film Island in the Sun as an upwardly mobile Black politician on a fictional island who becomes involved with a woman from the white elite in one of Hollywoods earliest depictions of interracial romanceIn 1954 he became the first African American man to win a Tony Award for his role in the Broadway musical John Murray Andersons AlmanacSix years later he became the first African American to win an Emmy Award for Tonight with Belafonte his musical television program He also won three Grammys and a humanitarian award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesBut his lifes work went far beyond performance with both his music and acting taking a supporting role to his activismWhen people think of activism they always think some sacrifice is involved but Ive always considered it a privilege and an opportunity he said in a 2004 speech at Emory UniversityHe opened his own coffers to back the civil rights movement becoming close with Martin Luther King JrBelafonte brought the civil rights leader along with the Birmingham Alabama pastor Fred Shuttlesworth to his New York apartment to plan out the 1963 campaign to integrate the notoriously racist southern cityWhen King was thrown into a Birmingham jail Belafonte raised 50000 nearly 500000 in current value to post his bailBelafontes global popularity and his commitment to our cause is a key ingredient to the global struggle for freedom and a powerful tactical weapon in the civil rights movement here in America King once saidKings daughter Bernice on Tuesday posted a photo of a crying Belafonte seated with her mother Coretta at the slain activists funeralWhen I was a child HarryBelafonte showed up for my family in very compassionate ways she wroteI wont forgethellipRest well sirGamechangerHarold George Bellanfanti Jr was born on March 1 1927 in New Yorks HarlemAs a child he moved to Jamaica with his mother and younger brother and described his Jamaican roots as shaping almost everything in his lifeBelafonte did not grow up believing he would enjoy a promising careerHe had vocal gifts and striking good looks but suffered from dyslexia and dropped out of high school to serve in the US Navy during World War II When he returned he worked as a janitorAt one point he received a tip of two tickets to the American Negro Theater which inspired him to take acting classesHe then met Sidney Poitier who was born just eight days before Belafonte to parents from The Bahamas the actor would become a lifelong friendDespite his frequent criticism of American policies Belafonte said the United States offers a dream that cannot be fulfilled as easily anywhere else in the world but one that is only attainable through struggleBeyond Belafontes involvement in the civil rights movement President John F Kennedy appointed him to the advisory committee of the softpower initiative Peace Corps meant to promote US goals abroadBut the singer said he wanted the program to also expose young Americans to the struggles of the developing worldBelafonte spent increasing time in Africa especially Kenya and became one of the foremost US artists fighting apartheid in South AfricaHis album Paradise in Gazankulu released in 1988 revolved around the oppression of black South Africans and was recorded partially in Johannesburg with local artistsYour passion love knowledge and respect for Africa was unlimited said Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo Your wisdom made me strong Your music inspired meBelafonte also initiated the USA for Africa supergroup whose We Are The World song in 1985 raised millions of dollars for Ethiopias famine victimsHe is survived by his wife Pamela four children and two stepchildren and eight grandchildrenAccepting an award in Hollywood in 2014 Belafonte said that the entertainment industry had a sorry past record on race but offered hope for the futureI really wish I could be around for the rest of the century to see what Hollywood does with the rest of the century he saidMaybe just maybe it could be civilizations gamechangerAlso Read Here 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