Harry Belafonte
Born March 1, 1927 — Died April 25, 2023
Harry Belafonte was an American singer, actor, and activist who became one of the best-selling music artists of the 1950s with his Caribbean-inflected calypso recordings, and who used his fame and wealth throughout his life as a powerful instrument for social justice and civil rights alongside his close friend Martin Luther King Jr.
Harlem, Jamaica, and the Path to Stardom
Born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. on March 1, 1927, in Harlem, New York City, Belafonte spent significant parts of his childhood in Jamaica (his mother's homeland), absorbing Caribbean musical traditions that would define his most celebrated recordings. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he returned to New York and took acting classes at the American Negro Theater, where he befriended Sidney Poitier — a friendship that would last a lifetime.
He began performing at jazz and folk clubs in Greenwich Village in the late 1940s, quickly developing a loyal following for his rich baritone voice and charismatic stage presence. A contract with RCA Victor followed, and in 1956 his album Calypso became the first LP record by a solo artist to sell more than one million copies, spending 31 weeks at number one on the Billboard album charts. The lead single, "Banana Boat (Day-O)," with its unforgettable call-and-response opening, became one of the most recognized songs in popular music history.
Civil Rights Movement
Belafonte was among the most committed celebrity supporters of the civil rights movement, moving from fan to full participant. He helped fund the Freedom Rides of 1961, bailed Martin Luther King Jr. out of Birmingham Jail in 1963, and helped organize the March on Washington. He used his own money to support the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) when it ran out of funds, and personally flew $70,000 in cash (approximately $700,000 in today's money) to SNCC workers in the Deep South in 1964.
His friendship with King was deep and personal. Belafonte was one of King's most trusted confidants and was consulted on strategy throughout the movement's most difficult years. After King's assassination in 1968, Belafonte continued supporting civil rights causes and later became an outspoken critic of U.S. policy, including strong public opposition to the Iraq War. He also organized the "We Are the World" recording session in 1985, bringing together dozens of artists to raise funds for African famine relief.
Did You Know?
Belafonte was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for more than 50 years and traveled to crisis zones around the world — including apartheid South Africa, where he performed despite international pressure to boycott. His activism influenced Nelson Mandela, who credited Belafonte's visits with sustaining the anti-apartheid movement during its darkest periods.
Acting Career and Final Years
Belafonte had a parallel acting career of considerable distinction, receiving acclaim for his performances in films including Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957), and Buck and the Preacher (1972) alongside his friend Sidney Poitier. In his later career he appeared in Robert Altman's Kansas City (1996) and Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman (2018), receiving Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for both. He died on April 25, 2023, in New York City at age 96 — mourned internationally as one of the last bridges between the greatest generation of activists and the present. His memoir My Song is a vivid account of music, film, and a lifetime of principled activism.