Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte has been called "the consummate entertainer" - a formidably talented singer, actor, and producer, who has made his mark on the concert stage, the recording industry, in films and on Broadway, and on the television screen, in an extraordinary career which has spanned five decades. He is also a "consummate humanitarian," whose activities on behalf of human rights have been felt around this country and around the world. A deep and long-time friend of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., he was the driving force that united the cultural elements behind the needs of the civil rights movement, including the 1963 Freedom March in Washington, D.C. A strong advocate for the countries of Africa, particularly its children, he set the wheels in motion that lead to the creation of USA for Africa and the "We are the World" Concert to benefit African famine relief in 1985, as well as the subsequent "Hands Across America" to relive hunger in America. In 1987, he was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF - only the second American, after Danny Kaye, to hold this position - and in 1990, along with his fellow UNICEF Ambassadors, served as host for the World Summit for Children, held at the United Nations. His close personal relationship with Nelson Mandela led to his hosting the South African l eader throughout Mandela's triumphant visit to the U.S. Born on March 1, 1927 in Harlem in New York City, Belafonte lived in his mother's native Jamaica for five years during his early adolescence. This exposure to life on the island in all of its variety became a cultural reservoir which he drew upon for his later artistic expression. His mother brought him back to Harlem at the outbreak of World War II, where he found adoption to this new environment difficult. Unable to finish high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Following his honorable discharge from the service, he returned to New York, where he worked both in the garment center and as a janitor's assistant. Fortuitously he found the American Negro Theater and studied…there at the dramatic Workshop of the New School of Social Research. At the same time, he became immersed in the world of the jazz musician, spending his nights at the Royal Roost, where he was soon offered the opportunity to perform as the intermission singer at the famed jazz club. Planning to devote himself full-time to theater, he disappointingly soon found that this country was not yet willing to embrace its black citizens in his chosen profession… In frustration, Belafonte opened a small restaurant in Greenwich Village as a means of livelihood. But once again, music beckoned as he discovered The Village Vanguard and the world of folk music, and performers such as Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Josh White, and Pete Seeger. This art form would become his ultimate expression…A succession of nightclub appearances at The Blue Angel, the Copacabana, and Cafe Society led to Broadway and his first musical, "John Murray Anderson's Almanac," where, astoundingly, in 1953 in his first Broadway role, he won the coveted Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. At this time, he entered into a recording contract with RCA Victor and, in 1955, his third album, "Calypso," became the first pop album to see over one-million copies, setting industry standards…Hollywood beckoned at this time, and in his first film he was teamed again with Dorothy Dandridge, first in "Bright Road" and then in Otto Preminger's "Carmen Jones" as "Joe." The overwhelming success of this film placed Belafonte along side Sidney Poitier as the most sought-after African-American actors in the history of film… With only one medium left to conquer - television- Belafonte formed a new production company, Harbel, and teamed up with a young and then little known director from Canada, Norman Jewison. In 1959, they produced a stunning musical epic called "Tonight with Harry Belafonte," which received astounding critical reviews and earned Belafonte an Emmy Award for his performance. Being the first African-American producer in television, his company went on to produce one Emmy-nominated success after another for the three major networks.… At the same time…Belafonte has also dedicated himself to uniting people and doing battle for causes often considered controversial. In 1960, President John F. Kennedy named him cultural advisor to the Peace Corps…It was the civil rights struggle in the United States, however that commanded his greatest involvement with his fervent pursuit for justice leading him to a long and deep commitment to the movement…In the early 1950's, Belafonte met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his historic visit to New York and, from that day until King's assassination, they developed a deep and abiding friendship. In the mid-1980's, disturbed by cruel events unfolding in Africa because of war, drought and famine…Belafonte set in motion the wheels that lead to "We Are the World." Through his efforts, the project known as USA for Africa also came into being. An outgrowth of this then became "Hands Across America," a benefit for hungry Americans… During his UNICEF tenure, he created an historic symposium in Dakra, Senegal for the immunization of African children, which ten led to a successful campaign for the eradication of curable diseases among those children…In 1989, the U.S. Committee for UNICEF presented him with the Danny Kaye Award for his important contributions in the service of the child of the world…Through the Belafonte Foundation, he has aided many African students seeking an education in the United States. He is currently producing a mini-series for ABC-TV and Turner Entertainment dramatizing the apartheid history of South Africa. His current concert tours include musician and singers form diverse backgrounds and music with a heavy emphasis on African rhythms and Third World themes. Other current projects include co-producing Taylor Branch's Pulitzer Prize-winning work, "Parting the Waters;" directing "Port Chicago Mutiny" for Turner Network Television; and serving as executive producer for the HBO Showcase film "The Affair."