The 95th birthday of legendary singer, songwriter, activist and actor Harry Belafonte will be celebrated March 1 at the Town Hall in New York with a program that will include performances and the presentation of the inaugural Harry Belafonte Social Justice Awards.
Presentation of the awards will honor the tenth anniversary of Sankofa.org, the social justice organization Mr. Belafonte co-founded. Proceeds from this evening will benefit Sankofa.org and several of its programs, including an innovative virtual/alternative reality technology and arts reentry program.
The evening will feature musical performances, video tributes and testimonials by civil rights and racial justice leaders, elected officials, musicians and actors. Participants will include Aloe Blacc, John Legend, The Belafonte Alumni Band, Laurence Fishburne, Doug E Fresh, Danny Glover, Amy Goodman, Lenny Kravitz, Michael Moore, Q-Tip, Tim Robbins, Rev. Al Sharpton, Bryan Stevenson, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Jesse Williams and Alfre Woodward.
Mr. Belafonte’s memorable film, television and humanitarian career also will be showcased through archival footage.
The inaugural Harry Belafonte Social Justice Awards were created to acknowledge the vast reach of Mr. Belafonte’s contribution to social justice and American history. For their unwavering commitment to justice, award recipients will include Angela Davis, Rashad Robinson, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Dr. Cornel West, Darren Walker, Hank Willis Thomas, former Attorney General Eric Holder and Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
Harry Belafonte said, “I am honored that so many are coming together to celebrate my birthday, life, and legacy. I founded Sankofa.org alongside my daughter Gina and Raoul Roach to create additional space for artists and allies to collaborate to garner an artistic approach to the needs of our disenfranchised communities, to use art as a tool to educate messages of hope, and to encourage and energize the public to become engaged. One heart, one mind, one soul.”
“We are happy to celebrate this milestone birthday of the iconic Harry Belafonte. As a legendary artist and activist, he is an inspiration to us all. It is also beautiful to see Gina carry on the important work of Sankofa.org to positively impact future generations,” said Bridgid and Don Cheadle about the occasion.
Actress and activist Alfre Woodard said the evening will be “the celebration of Harry Belafonte’s bold, insistent, joyous stride towards Justice. Sankofa.org is the vehicle he’s given the generations to continue that journey forward. There goes the roof!”
Gina Belafonte, Sankofa.org executive director, said, “Artists are the gatekeepers of truth, civilization's radical voice. Without art we have nothing. Sankofa.org uses the arts as a tool to engage people to action. We are so excited to honor my father on his 95th birthday and celebrate his legacy.”
In a recent interview, she said Sankofa was originally created to ”mentor younger artists . . . and to shine a light on specific issues.” The honorees on March 1 “exemplify what Sankofa does and carry the legacy of my father forward.”
Sankofa.org’s mission is to educate, motivate and activate artists and allies in service of grassroots movements and equitable change. It focuses on issues of injustice that disproportionately affect the disenfranchised, the oppressed and the underserved.
While this is its first public fundraising event, Sankofa.org has created and produced innovative and cutting-edge programs for the past decade. The organization is committed to rooting out systemic violence, work tirelessly for the adoption of restorative justice initiatives and champion meaningful reforms for immigration and a livable minimum wage.
The Town Hall has played an integral role in the cultural fabric of New York City for over 100 years. A group of Suffragists' fight for the 19th Amendment led them to build a meeting space to educate people on the important issues of the day. During its construction, the 19th Amendment was passed, and on January 12, 1921 it opened its doors and took on a double meaning: as a symbol of the victory sought by its founders and as a spark for a new, more optimistic climate. Since its opening, Town Hall has been home to countless musical milestones, including the U.S. debut of German composer Richard Strauss in 1921; Marian Anderson's first New York recital in 1945; and Bob Dylan's first major concert in 1963.
