In praise of … Harry Belafonte
- His is a life full enough even without his involvement in the civil rights movement with Eleanor Roosevelt, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther KingToday's politically engaged Hollywood celebrity picks and chooses a cause, one eye on a country far away enough to wax indignant about, the other eye on the next contract. Not so Harry Belafonte. The man has as much fire in his belly at the age of 84 as he had as a youth from Harlem. The difference is that, as he says, he was an activist who became an artist, rather than the other way round. It is not just that Belafonte's memoir My Song is impressive. Belafonte helped introduce calypso to mainstream America. Along with Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr, Belafonte broke the taboos on roles for black actors. His is a life full enough even without his involvement in the civil rights movement with Eleanor Roosevelt, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Today Belafonte speaks with moral authority. He has not turned his brand into a lucrative foundation – and when he criticises Barack Obama for raising false hopes, he stings.Race issuesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds ...
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