Singer And Social Justice Activist Harry Belafonte Dies

Legendary singer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte died today from congestive heart failure. He was 96.

Belafonte’s memorable voice popularized Calypso music in the 1950s. He holds the distinction in the music world as the first solo artist to sell a million albums.

Belafonte credited his mother with inspiring his decades of social activism, recalling that she urged him to use each day to fight injustice.

He worked on the front lines for equality around the work. Using his economic resources, he bankrolled various initiatives. Belafonte bailed Martin Luther King, Jr. out of a Birmingham, Alabama, jail in 1963, and he co-organized the March on Washington. He also funded the Freedom Riders and SNCC.

On the African continent, Belafonte’s commitment to global community is well-known. He organized the all-star charity record ‘We Are The World’ which raised $63 million for famine relief. In 1987 he was appointed a UNICEF ambassador and promoted efforts to eradicate AIDS.