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Famend singer, actor, producer, and legendary civil rights trailblazer, Harry Belafonte has died on the age of 96.
His publicist confirmed that the beloved icon died of congestive coronary heart failure at his residence in New York.
Along with his kids Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafonte, David Belafonte and two stepchildren Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank, Belafonte leaves behind eight grandchildren: Rachel Blue Biesemeyer, Brian Biesemeyer, Maria Belafonte McCray, Sarafina Belafonte, Amadeus Belafonte, Mateo Frank, Olive Scanga, and Zoe Frank.
Recognized globally for each for his creative ingenuity and humanitarian beliefs, Belafonte turned an early, vocal supporter of the Civil Rights Motion, a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and monetary backer of numerous historic political and social causes and occasions, together with the anti-Apartheid Motion, equal rights for ladies, juvenile justice, local weather change and the decolonization of Africa.
He was one of many organizers of the 1963 March on Washington and led a delegation of Hollywood luminaries together with his finest pal Sidney Poitier, in addition to Paul Newman, Sammy Davis, Jr, Marlon Brando, Rita Moreno, Tony Curtis, James Baldwin, Burt Lancaster, Joanne Woodward, Diahann Carrol, Bob Dylan, Mahalia Jackson, Peter, Paul and Mary and Joan Baez, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis and Tony Curtis.
The next is from Belafonte’s bio on the HistoryMakers:
Born to immigrant dad and mom in Harlem on March 1, 1927, Harry Belafonte spent a lot of his youth in his mom’s residence nation of Jamaica.
Although troublesome, life in Jamaica was stuffed with wealthy cultural experiences that influenced Belafonte’s artwork.
Initially of World Struggle II, Belafonte returned to Harlem together with his mom and brother. He had bother integrating into the brand new setting and later dropped out of highschool to affix the U.S. Navy.
After Belafonte was honorably discharged, he went again to New York, the place he labored odd jobs till two free tickets to the American Negro Theatre (A.N.T.) modified his life.
Belafonte auditioned for the A.N.T. and earned his first main position in Juno and the Paycock.
In 1953, he made his movie debut reverse Dorothy Dandridge in Shiny Highway. He received a Tony in 1954 for his efficiency in Almanac.
On the similar time, Belafonte developed his singing abilities, having parlayed a collection of nightclub performances right into a file contract.
His third album, Calypso, topped the charts for thirty-one consecutive weeks and was the primary file to promote greater than 1 million copies.
Belafonte additionally secured a tv outlet together with his hour-long particular, Tonight with Belafonte, which received him an Emmy.
He turned the primary African American TV producer and his firm, HarBel, went on to provide one Emmy nominee after one other.
Within the early Nineteen Fifties, Belafonte developed a powerful relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Belafonte labored tirelessly to mobilize artists in assist of the civil rights motion.
In 1985, he once more rallied the worldwide creative neighborhood to lift consciousness of the famines, wars and droughts plaguing many African nations.
USA for Africa raised greater than $60 million for this trigger with “We Are the World” and Palms Throughout America.
A longtime anti-apartheid activist, Belafonte hosted former South African President Nelson Mandela on his triumphant go to to the USA.
Belafonte maintained his dedication to service as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.
“The lifelong dedication, braveness, world management, and legacy of The Honorable Harry Belafonte will all the time be cherished and remembered by billions of individuals all through the world,” stated NNPA President and CEO, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. “Belafonte was a gifted, proficient and transformative freedom fighter for all of humanity. The Nationwide Newspaper Publishers Affiliation (NNPA) salutes the reminiscence of Harry Belafonte and recommits to the battle for freedom, justice and equality that Belafonte so boldly epitomized and embodied.”
Excerpt:Recognized globally for each for his creative ingenuity and humanitarian beliefs, Belafonte turned an early, vocal supporter of the Civil Rights Motion, a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and monetary backer of numerous historic political and social causes and occasions, together with the anti-Apartheid Motion, equal rights for ladies, juvenile justice, local weather change and the decolonization of Africa.
Photograph Caption:Harry Belafonte on the Vienna Worldwide Movie Pageant 2011. Photograph: Manfred Werner / Wikimedia Commons
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