Belafonte, who was cool and charismatic, used his fame to promote activism. He was a genuine people person who had the ability to inspire, instruct.
And challenge us.Folk hero is the best description of what Harry Belafonte has come to mean among the various (many).
Careers you could give him, including singer, actor, entertainer, talk show host, and campaigner. Not something one lists in their.
Twitter bio or on their business card. The label "folk hero" develops through time, out of significance. When you're working at those other occupations, all of a sudden, the people, your community, and your nation depend on what you're doing.
In this sense, Belafonte was a folk hero. Not the most dynamic or distinctive performer you'll ever see in an acting, singing, or dancing role. But the 96-year-old cat who passed away on.
Tuesday possessed something more, something equally important. He was cool, honest, charismatic, and seemed indestructible. In his own way, he was a people person. More.
Tenaciously than any other celebrity throughout the civil rights era or after, he knew how to connect with people, educate and question them, keep them honest, and dedicate his stardom to a politics of accountability.