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Harry Belafonte on Bush, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and Having
His Conversations with Martin Luther King Wiretapped by the
FBI
Harry Belafonte on Bush, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina
and Having His Conversations with Martin Luther King Wiretapped
by the FBI
We spend the hour with the legendary musician, actor and
humanitarian, Harry Belafonte. He joins us in our firehouse
studio to talk about why he recently called President Bush
"the world's greatest terrorist;" racism and Hurricane
Katrina; Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement
and wars of imperialism and resistance.
The son of Caribbean-born immigrants, Harry Belafonte grew
up on the streets of Harlem and Jamaica. After serving in
World War II, he returned to New York and began a successful
acting and singing career. Along with his rise to worldwide
stardom, Belafonte became deeply involved in the Civil Rights
Movement and was close friends with the Rev. Martin Luther
King. In the 1980's he helped initiate the "We Are the
World" single which helped raise millions of dollars
in aid to Africa. He also hosted former South African President
Nelson Mandela on his triumphant visit to the United States.
Belafonte has been a longtime critic of U.S. foreign policy,
calling for an end to the embargo against Cuba, and opposing
policies of war and global oppression. [includes rush
transcript]
Today we are joined by the legendary musician, actor and
humanitarian, Harry Belafonte.
The son of Caribbean-born immigrants, Harry Belafonte grew
up on the streets of Harlem and Jamaica. At the age of 17,
he dropped out of high school to enlist in the Navy. After
serving in World War II, he returned to New York and began
a successful acting and singing career. In the 1950s he spearheaded
the Calypso craze with a string of hits. He is perhaps best
known for singing the "Banana Boat Song," with its
signature lyric "Day-O." His third album, titled
"Calypso", became the first in history to sell over
one million copies. He was also the first African-American
to win an Emmy, with his solo TV special "Tonight with
Belafonte."
Along with his rise to worldwide stardom, Harry Belafonte
became deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1956,
he met the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and the two quickly
became friends.
He sent money to bail King out of the Birmingham City Jail
and raised thousands of dollars to release other imprisoned
protesters. He financed the Freedom Rides, and supported voter-registration
drives and helped to organize the March on Washington in 1963.
In the 1980"s he helped initiate the star-studded "We
Are the World" single, which raised tens of millions
of dollars for famine relief in Ethiopia, calling global attention
to the humanitarian crises in Africa.
A longtime anti-apartheid activist, Belafonte hosted former
South African President Nelson Mandela on his triumphant visit
to the United States. In 1987 he was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill
Ambassador.
Belafonte has been a longtime critic of U.S. foreign policy,
calling for an end to the embargo against Cuba, and opposing
policies of war and global oppression. Earlier this month,
he led a delegation of activists, including actor Danny Glover
and professor Cornel West, to Venezuela to meet with President
Hugo Chavez. Belafonte spoke at a rally in Caracas, where
he commented on President Bush.
- Harry Belafonte, speaking in Venezuela, January 2006.
Belfonte was standing next to Chavez when he made those comments.
And he didn't let up. Belafonte also recently spoke in commemoration
of Martin Lurther King Day at Duke University where he said,
"Bush has led us into a dishonorable war that has caused
the deaths of tens of thousands of people...What is the difference
between that terrorist and other terrorists?" And in
a speech to the annual meeting of the Arts Presenters Members
Conference days later he said, "We've come to this dark
time in which the new Gestapo of Homeland Security lurks here,
where citizens are having their rights suspended."
Harry Belafonte joins us in our firehouse studio today for
the hour.
- Harry Belafonte, musician, actor and activist.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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