Harry Belafonte is not just one of the greatest entertainers of our time; he has led one of the great American lives of the last century. Now, this extraordinary icon tells us the story of that life, giving us its full breadth, letting us share in the struggles, the tragedies, and, most of all, the inspiring triumphs.   Belafonte grew up, poverty-ridden, in Harlem and Jamaica. His mother was a complex woman—caring but withdrawn, eternally angry and rarely satisfied. His father was distant and physically abusive. It was not an easy life, but it instilled in young Harry the hard-nosed toughness of the city and the resilient spirit of the Caribbean lifestyle. It also gave him the drive to make good and channel his anger into actions that were positive and life-affirming. His journey led to the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he encountered an onslaught of racism but also fell in love with the woman he eventually married. After the war he moved back to Harlem, where he drifted between odd jobs until he saw his first stage play—and found the life he wanted to lead. Theater opened up a whole new world, one that was artistic and political and made him realize that not only did he have a need to express himself, he had a lot to express.   He began as an actor—and has always thought of himself as such—but was quickly spotted in a musical, began a tentative nightclub career, and soon was on a meteoric rise to become one of the world’s most popular singers. Belafonte was never content to simply be an entertainer, however. Even at enormous personal cost, he could not shy away from activism. At first it was a question of personal dignity: breaking down racial barriers that had never been broken before, achieving an enduring popularity with both white and black audiences. Then his activism broadened to a lifelong, passionate involvement at the heart of the civil rights movement and countless other political and social causes. The sections on the rise of the civil rights movement are perhaps the most moving in the book: his close friendship with Martin Luther King, Jr.; his role as a conduit between Dr. King and the Kennedys; his up-close involvement with the demonstrations and awareness of the hatred and potential violence around him; his devastation at Dr. King’s death and his continuing fight for what he believes is right.   But My Song is far more than the history of a movement. It is a very personal look at the people in that movement and the world in which Belafonte has long moved. He has befriended many beloved and important figures in both entertainment and politics—Paul Robeson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sidney Poitier, John F. Kennedy, Marlon Brando, Robert Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Tony Bennett, Bill Clinton—and writes about them with the same exceptional candor with which he reveals himself on every page. This is a book that pulls no punches, and turns both a loving and critical eye on our country’s cultural past.   As both an artist and an activist, Belafonte has touched countless lives. With My Song, he has found yet another way to entertain and inspire us. It is an electrifying memoir from a remarkable man.

My Song: A Memoir

Biographies & Memoirs

Michael Shnayerson

Harry Belafonte

Arts & Literature

BOOKS ON TAPE]

On Jamaica, a place full of magical sunsets and shining sand, a man thinks of his family and remembers the sounds of calypso during carnival. "I hope the day will never come," he sings, "that I can't awake to the sound of drum." Harry Belafonte's classic song, combined with Alex Ayliffe's bright, energetic artwork, will enchant young and old alike."Children who have never been to the Caribbean will get a feel for the details and pace of island life. Lilting and lovely."-Booklist

Island in the Sun

Children's Books

A C BLACK (CHILDRENS BOOKS)

<p>Marching To The Freedom Dream presents American photojournalist Dan Budnik's significant body of work documenting three seminal marches of the civil rights movement. An introduction to the book is written by prolific civil rights activist, Harry Belafonte. The book begins with the peaceful Youth March for Integrated Schools in 1958, organised by Harry Belafonte and Bayard Rustin, where the White House gates were rudely slammed in the faces of the petitioners. We then move to the iconic March On Washington in August 1963, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr delivered his monumental I Have a Dream speech. The book culminates with the unprecedented and triumphant 54 mile Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. This was Dr. King's greatest achievement where he led marchers, which at times swelled to 1000's of people when safety conditions permitted, through some of the most segregated areas of rural Alabama, the heart of racist Dixie. Budnik's images capture the non-violent solidarity of the participants. He salutes the diversity and passion of the marchers ranging from all walks of life who were willing to serve and sacrifice. Alongside Budnik's black and white photographs, his unseen colour work has been included in the volume, with his own handwritten captions accompanying the images, providing a more contextual and personal information on the marches' participants. A photohistoric context is provided by photographer and scholar James L. Enyeart, former director of the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona and the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY.</p>

Marching To The Freedom Dream

Arts & Photography

Dan Budnik

James Enyeart

Photography & Video

Trolley Books

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Books by Harry Belafonte