SIGMA CARES FOR The family of world-renowned singer, actor and Civil Rights activist Brother Harry G. Belafonte, whose lifetime achievements span more than seven decades. Born in Harlem, New York to Jamaica-born parents, Harry Belafonte rose from poverty to become one of the most well-known and respected voices for those who struggle to be heard worldwide. He started out as a club singer with the Charlie Parker Band in the 1940s and eventually rose to the top of BillBoard charts with his first album “Calypso” which featured the famous “Banana Boat Song”. Bro. Belafonte was the first recording artist to sell 1 million albums in a single year. He would record five albums with RCA Victor between 1953 and 1974 and was the first Jamaican born artist to win an Emmy. In addition to his singing, he became involved in Hollywood, starring in two movies (Bright Road and Carmen Jones) with actress Dorothy Dandridge. He won a Tony Award in 1954 for this role in Broadway’s “Almanac.” Always concerned for how African Americans were portrayed in movies, he accepted other acting roles over his career with great care.
His entertainment career became deeply intertwined with his views of the world on racism and poverty as a result of his involvement with mentor Paul Robeson. Bro. Belafonte allied with his friend Sidney Poitier to actively support the Civil rights movement. He was a major player in the “USA for Africa” movement in the mid-1980s and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In 1994 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994 and in 2000 received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in music, the arts and social activism.
Bro. Belafonte was inducted into Phi Beta Sigma as an Honorary Member in January 2014. He shared that his mother would be extremely proud of him for being honored by an organization which promotes higher education for African American men. Please keep the family of our Brother Harry G. Belafonte in your thoughts and prayers, as we join in celebrating his prolific life and career.
