Legendary entertainer Harry Belafonte to address representation of diverse people in the media

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

By Letecha Dixon • (201) 606-5317

The Black Communications Society (BCS) will present “A Living Legend: Harry Belafonte” with television’s first black producer, Harry Belafonte, on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium in the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center. Tickets–$4–are on sale at the Schine Box Office.

Belafonte “Just him being a person of color who possesses a huge impact on society, especially in a world where there is a lack of representation of positive images like himself, highlights the importance of his visit to the SU campus,” says Shavon Greene, president of BCS. “Through his speech, we hope that he encourages students to not just attain the highest achievements but to use it as a tool to help advance the communities that they belong to.”

Belafonte will address issues on the lack of accurate representation of diverse people in the media. He will include in his speech the methods he used from the fame garnered from his music and theater success to help propel his role as an activist and humanitarian.

Belafonte is best known for singing “The Banana Boat Song” and his signature lyric “Day-O.” His career took off after his role in the film “Carmen Jones." He has won Tony, Emmy and Grammy awards.

Belafonte has donned many caps both in and outside the entertainment industry, but he is also well known for his dedication to improving the lives of people of African descent throughout the world. It was his fame that allowed Belafonte to create projects that focused on breaking racial barriers and creating new opportunities for African Americans in the entertainment industry. Belafonte, who marched with Martin Luther King Jr., was appointed the first cultural advisor to the Peace Corps by President John F. Kennedy. He was also appointed a UNICEF goodwill ambassador in 1987.

The Harlem-born social activist was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2000, Belafonte used his honorarium to launch the Harry and Julie Belafonte Fund for HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, which is administered by the US Fund for UNICEF.

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