Harry Belafonte broke through barriers in the 1950s. He topped the music charts. He was an actor too. And he used his fame to stand up for . The hero died on April 25. He was 96.
Belafonte was born in New York City. He spent his early years in Jamaica. Later, he moved back to New York. Belafonte’s daughter Gina said moving wasn’t easy. “He had a hard time fitting in,” she once said.
Belafonte studied at an acting school in the 1940s. He appeared in plays. The actor starred in movies as well. Belafonte’s biggest break came from music, though.
Belafonte put out an album called Calypso. The 1956 record had folk songs. You may know one from the album: “Day-o, day-o. Daylight come and me want go home.” This tune, “The Banana Boat Song,” was a beloved radio hit. In the song, workers are happy to stop hauling bananas and rest.
Belafonte became very well known. He used his fame. Belafonte organized a group of artists to go to the March on Washington in 1963. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech there. Belafonte gave a speech too. He said people should be equal. “Human experience has no color,” Belafonte told the crowd.
Belafonte risked his career for “ ,” Gina Belafonte said. In the movie Island in the Sun, Belafonte played a man who loves a white woman. Some theaters refused to show the film. Officials didn’t want to show a movie about couples. The movie showed that love rises above racism.
In the 1960s, Belafonte spoke out against in South Africa. He met with leaders about the issue. In the 1980s, Belafonte organized a song called “We Are the World.” It raised money to fight hunger. Some of the most popular musicians in the world sang together. They included Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. The album sold over 20 million copies.
Gina Belafonte described her dad as having “a great sense of humor.” She added that he “always treated people with dignity and respect.”
Another daughter talked about Belafonte’s passing. Bernice King is the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. She posted online. “Harry Belafonte showed up for my family,” she said. “He paid for the babysitter,” King added. “I won’t forget. Rest well, sir.”
Updated April 25, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Ryan Cramer and Alexa Tirapelli
