Harry Belafonte, Dies; Barrier-Breaking Singer, Actor and Activist
Harry Belafonte, who stormed the pop charts and smashed racial barriers in the 1950s with his highly personal brand of folk music, and who went on to become a dynamic force in the civil rights movement, died on Tuesday at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was 96.
The cause was congestive heart failure, said Ken Sunshine, his longtime spokesman.
At a time when segregation was still widespread and Black faces were still a rarity on screens large and small, Mr. Belafonte’s ascent to the upper echelon of show business was historic. He was not the first Black entertainer to transcend racial boundaries; Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and others had achieved stardom before him. But none had made as much of a splash as he did, and for a while no one in music, Black or white, was bigger.
Born in Harlem to West Indian immigrants, he almost single-handedly ignited a craze for Caribbean music with hit records like “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” and “Jamaica Farewell.” His album “Calypso,” which included both those songs, reached the top of the Billboard album chart shortly after its release in 1956 and stayed there for 31 weeks. Coming just before the breakthrough of Elvis Presley, it was said to be the first album by a single artist to sell more than a million copies.
brightstarts boldfutures!
THE GIFT OF LITERACY
Drew University’s Master of Arts in Teaching Provides a Pathway for Students to Live Their Passion
Education: Building an Equitable City
Spelman College: A Tradition of ExcellenceSpelman College:
Community Education Forum with Alfred Bundy guests: Dr. Elvy Vieira & Anthony Smith of Lincoln Park
5 Things to do When you Get Your First Paycheck
New York must open Crisis Stabilization Centers: People in Mental Health throes need immediate help
The Grid Collective
THE GIFT OF LITERACY
Barber School
The Wrap-Up Report
Newark Beth Israel Medical Raises the Flag for Pride Month
Assemblywoman Timberlake Celebrates Community Trailblazers
Malcolm X would have been 98 today
Staten Island Black History Town Hall
HBCU/Divine Nine Greek Sunday Service
Nicole A. Davis: Executive Director Center for Food Action
Mother’s Day Edition
Kimberly Council: Deputy Brooklyn Borough President
President Obama Names the City of Newark a My Brother’s Keeper Alliance Model Community
Newark Beth Israel Medical Raises the Flag for Pride Month
Let’s Talk About Mental Health
Give Your Body to God
New York must open Crisis Stabilization Centers: People in Mental Health throes need immediate help
Newark Beth Israel Lung Transplant Recipient Received the Most Advanced Technology and Expert Care on Her Transplant Journey
