Paul Robeson and Harry Belafonte

In honor of Black History Month.

Harry Belafonte once remarked that Paul Robeson was his mentor. Robeson, 1898-1976, was an athlete, scholar, attorney, concert performer, actor and social justice activist. He strongly supported the labor unions and wanted peace with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and he was actively opposed to racial prejudice in the United States and in colonial Africa.

Harry Belafonte (b. 1927) is a singer and actor who has had a significant impact on humanitarian causes. From the 1950s he was active in the Civil Rights Movement and refused to perform in the South from 1954 until 1961. He financed the Freedom Rides, supported voter registration drives, and helped to organize the March on Washington in 1963. And that was just the beginning. Belafonte's entire career has been dedicated to the freedom and welfare of others.

The following video features Harry Belafonte narrating the "outrage that was Peekskill."



This is a lengthy but fascinating interview with Robeson's son.