Actor, singer, activist and icon Harry Belafonte has passed at the age of 96.
Belafonte appeared in innumerable films, on television and was a popular recording artist. Because I grew up in the shadow of his peak era as a performer, I knew him as a curious mix of "the guy who sang the Banana Boat song" and who would appear on television to weigh in on important topical issues - and be taken seriously. Which is not something then or now that I or the culture give many celebrities leeway. But as a player in the civil rights movement, Belafonte carried the torch forward for his entire life.
It was in college I came to understand his role as a Black man in film, and his broad appeal as a performer that helped him speak to everyone. Of course, my first exposure to Belafonte was probably his appearance on The Muppet Show, which is a curiously moving episode.
Here's to Mr. Belafonte, who fought the good fight.
