Born to Jamaican immigrants in Harlem, Belafonte was an actor, singer and civil rights activist who was instrumental in the overcoming of numerous racial barriers in America.

After meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the early ’50s, Belafonte developed a close friendship with the prominent civil rights leader. The two worked together on political and social causes and events, including the Anti-Apartheid Movement, equal rights for women, juvenile justice, climate change and the decolonization of Africa.

Belafonte even served as one of the organizers of the 1963 March on Washington and led a Hollywood delegation that included the likes of Sidney Poitier, as well as Paul Newman, Sammy Davis Jr., Marlon Brando, Rita Moreno, Tony Curtis, James Baldwin, Burt Lancaster, Joanne Woodward, Diahann Carrol, Bob Dylan, Mahalia Jackson, Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis and Tony Curtis.

In the entertainment sphere, Belafonte was one of the first early Black male sex symbols, though he never considered himself one. He was also one of the first actors to be in an interracial relationship on-screen, starring in Island in the Sun in 1957. Another iconic role of his is when he starred alongside Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones in 1954, one of the most iconic early films with Black leads.

He is believed to be the biggest Carribbean-American music star, popularizing the Calypso music style. His album, Calypso, was the first to sell 1 million copies. Songs he is known for include “The Banana Boat Song” (Day-O), “Jump in Line,” and more.

His first Broadway appearance in John Murray Anderson’s Almanac earned him a Tony Award. Then, as the first Black producer in television, he won an Emmy for CBS’ Tonight with Belafonte.

After winning the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2014, he became an EGOT holder, receiving an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

Speaking out on injustices worldwide and being critical of world leaders was nothing new for Belafonte.

He was the co-orchestrator of USA for Africa, producing the record “We Are the World” on Jan. 28, 1985.  He was also an anti-apartheid activist and advocated for the release of his friend Nelson Mandela.

The actor received countless awards and accolades for contributing to various groups.

This included the American Jewish Congress, the NAACP, the City of Hope, Fight for Sight, The Urban League, The National Conference of Black Mayors, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, the ACLU, the State Department, the Boy Scouts of America, Hadassah International and the Peace Corps.

He received multiple awards, such as The Albert Einstein Award from Yeshiva University, the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize, the Acorn Award from the Bronx Community College for his work with children, and the Kennedy Center Honors for creative excellence in the performing arts in 1989.

Belafonte was also the first recipient of the Nelson Mandela Courage Award. In 1994, President Bill Clinton honored him at the White House with the National Medal of Arts for his contributions to our nation’s cultural life.

Over the past two decades, he founded the Gathering for Justice in 2005 “to end child incarceration and eliminate racial inequities in the justice system.” He also co-founded Sankofa.org with his daughter Gina Belafonte and Raoul Roach in 2015 “to educate, motivate, and activate artists and allies in service of grassroots movements and equitable change.”

The final honor Belafonte received was in 2022 when he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and took home the Early Influence Award.