Civil rights pioneer, singer, and actor Harry Belafonte passed away today, April 25, 2023, at 96.
Bellafonte was the first artist to sell one million copies of an album. The first black man to win a Tony. The first black man to win an Emmy. He made it his mission to be the best he could be over the course of nine decades and opened the door to countless talented individuals who never thought they could reach those same goals. Harry Bellafonte showed them all while showing us all how perseverance and hard work could pay off.
Without the rebellious heart, without people who understand that there's no sacrifice we can make that is too great to retrieve that which we've lost, we will forever be distracted with possessions and trinkets and titles.
-Harry Belafonte