On Sunday, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams honored the late entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafont with a proclamation as part of the annual Harlem Day celebrations.
The Public Advocate presented the posthumous award for this artist to his widow, Pamela Belafonte, and family, to recognize both his achievements as an artist and his contributions to the advancement of civil rights across decades.
“Harry Belafonte was a trailblazer in music history and a titan in the civil rights movement. In his art and his activism, he was unapologetic and undaunted by the barriers before him, which he went on to break,” read the proclamation in part. “As a performer, as an activist, as a man, he helped to shape society and culture across many decades.”
Harry Belafonte transitioned on April 25th of this year, leaving behind a legacy of music that reverberated throughout the celebration of the 49th Annual Harlem Day, commemorated on 135th Street as the culmination of Harlem Week celebrations.
The legendary singer and actor often told people that he was an activist first, using his power and platform to partner with Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and to take up other causes across decades. Belafonte, born in Harlem, was true to his Caribbean roots and upbringing, advancing and popularizing Caribbean music in the United States.
“Harry Belafonte extended his influence beyond the music and into the movement. He was an effective, outspoken supporter of civil rights for decades…” said the Public Advocate during the presentation. “…His political and civic engagement, his righteous anger in the face of injustice, continued throughout his long life. His legacy continues not only in his songs that have survived generations but in the changes he helped to create for generations to come.”
Harlem Week is an annual opportunity to celebrate the diverse culture and history of Harlem. Within it, Harlem Day showcases artists, along with food and festivities. This year’s theme for Harlem Week was “Be the Change,” a mantra embodied by Harry Belafonte in life. At this years’ celebration, in addition to the performer’s family receiving a proclamation from the Public Advocate, August 20th was also declared Harry Belafonte Day by Mayor Eric Adams.
