NAACP Image Awards | Harry Belafonte Speaks on Gun Control in Acceptance Speech | Feb 1, 2013
Mr. Belafonte Wins the NAACP Image Awards Spingarn Medal & Shares His Thoughts on Gun Control in America.
Harold George “Harry” Belafonte, Jr. (born March 1, 1927) is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the “King of Calypso” for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing “The Banana Boat Song”, with its signature lyric “Day-O”. Throughout his career he has been an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes. He was a vocal critic of the policies of the George W. Bush administration.
Civil-rights activist
Belafonte supported the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and was one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s confidants. He provided for King’s family, since King made only $8,000 a year as a preacher. Like many other civil rights activists, Belafonte was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He bailed King out of Birmingham City Jail and raised thousands of dollars to release other civil rights protesters. He financed the Freedom Rides, supported voter registration drives, and helped to organize the March on Washington in 1963, and as a result was awarded the Jeremy Nicholson Negro Achievement Award.
During “Freedom Summer” in 1964 Belafonte bankrolled the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, flying to Mississippithat August with Sidney Poitier and $60,000 in cash and entertaining crowds in Greenwood. In 1968 Belafonte appeared on aPetula Clark primetime television special on NBC. In the middle of a song, Clark smiled and briefly touched Belafonte’s arm, which made the show’s sponsor, Plymouth Motors, nervous. Plymouth wanted to cut the segment, but Clark, who had ownership of the special, told NBC that the performance would be shown intact or she would not allow the special to be aired at all. Newspapers reported the controversy, and when the special aired it attracted high ratings.
Belafonte appeared on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and performed a controversial “Mardi Gras” number intercut with footage from the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots. CBS censors deleted the segment.
Political activist
Belafonte has been a longtime critic of U.S. foreign policy. He began making controversial political statements on this subject in the early 1980s. He has at various times made statements opposing the U.S. embargo on Cuba; praising Soviet peace initiatives; attacking the U.S. invasion of Grenada; praising the Abraham Lincoln Brigade; honoringEthel and Julius Rosenberg and praising Fidel Castro.[27] Belafonte is additionally known for his visit to Cuba which helped ensure hip-hop’s place in Cuban society. According to Geoffrey Baker’s article “Hip hop, Revolucion! Nationalizing Rap in Cuba”, in 1999 Belafonte met with representatives of the rap community immediately before meeting with Fidel Castro. This meeting resulted in Castro’s personal approval of, and hence the government’s involvement in, the incorporation of rap into his country’s culture.[28] In a 2003 interview Belafonte reflected upon this meeting’s influence:
“When I went back to Havana a couple years later, the people in the hip-hop community came to see me and we hung out for a bit. They thanked me profusely and I said, ‘Why?’ and they said, ‘Because your little conversation with Fidel and the Minister of Culture on hip-hop led to there being a special division within the ministry and we’ve got our own studio’.”[29]
Belafonte was active in the anti-apartheid movement. He was the Master of Ceremonies at a reception honoring African National Congress President Oliver Tambo at Roosevelt House, Hunter College, in New York City. The reception was held by the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) and The Africa Fund.[30] He is a current board member of the TransAfrica Forumand the Institute for Policy Studies.[31]
In 2004 he was awarded the Domestic Human Rights Award by Global Exchange, in San Francisco.
On December 9, 2012, in an interview with Al Sharpton on MSNBC, Belafonte expressed dismay that many political leaders in the United States continue to oppose the policies of President Obama even after his re-election: “The only thing left for Barack Obama to do is to work like a third-world dictator and just put all of these guys in jail. You’re violating the American desire.”[32]
Mr. Belafonte’ hit the nail right on the head when he said ” Where is the church” where are our leaders” and why is the black community mute?”.
I’ve been asking those questions for awhile now. Where is the raised voice? Why are we mute? Where are our black leaders?
Jamie Fox was looking serious like a mutha.
That was a beautiful and informative speech. MUCH LOVE!!!