Harry Belafonte speaks at Purdue Martin Luther King Jr. celebration

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Harry Belafonte, singer, songwriter, actor and social activist, on Tuesday (Jan. 17) provided the keynote for Purdue's celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The theme of the 2017 celebration is "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Where Do We Go from Here?"

Belafonte, the first black performer to win an Emmy Award and the first recording artist to sell over a million copies of a single album with "Calypso" in 1956, featuring his hit "Day-O," gave the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address at Stewart Center's Loeb Playhouse.

Born in Harlem in 1927, Belafonte spent time with his maternal grandmother in Jamaica before returning to Harlem for high school. After a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy, Belafonte returned to New York City where he worked as a janitor's assistant.

Belafonte first encountered the theater when he was given a ticket to a production at the American Negro Theatre in Harlem for doing repairs in an apartment. Soon after, he joined the Dramatic Workshop of the New School of Social Research, with classmates such as Marlon Brando and Tony Curtis, and became immersed in theater. Paralleling this pursuit was his interest and love of jazz.

Belafonte met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on King's visit to New York City in the early 1950s. Belafonte and King developed a deep and abiding friendship, and Belafonte played a key role in the civil rights movement, including the 1963 March on Washington.

In 1985, disturbed by war, drought and famine in Africa, Belafonte helped organize the Grammy-winning song "We Are the World," a multi-artist effort to raise funds for Africa. Belafonte was active in efforts to end apartheid in South Africa and to release Nelson Mandela.

Belafonte served as the cultural adviser for the Peace Corps, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and was honored as an Ambassador of Conscience by Amnesty International. Recently, Belafonte founded the Sankofa Justice & Equity Fund, a nonprofit social justice organization that combines the power of culture and celebrity with activism. It is a space for artists to contribute their talents to build awareness and confront the issues that negatively affect marginalized communities.

He received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2014.

Other celebration highlights include:

* Jan. 19. 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Nelson Hall of Food Science, Room 1215, and 1:30-2:30 p.m. and 3-4 p.m. in Matthews Hall, Room 241. "Emotional Intelligence Workshops," presented by David G. Lewis of Lewis Consulting Group. The workshops are free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, go here.

* Jan. 20. Noon to 1:30 p.m. Pfendler Hall, Room 241. "Songs of Freedom – Negro Spirituals and Their Meaning," presented by James Dekle, Black Cultural Center music director. 

Writer: Greg McClure, 765-496-9711, gmcclure@purdue.edu 

Source: Renee Thomas, 765-494-3091, rathomas@purdue.edu