CINCINNATI — Several people around the city are remembering Harry Belafonte, an entertainer and civil rights icon who died Tuesday at the age of 96. While he was born in New York, he left his mark on Cincinnati.
Belafonte was part of the campaign to build the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Some may remember the few times he visited Cincinnati to promote the center, and also bring attention to race and inequality issues.
The world first heard of Belafonte when he sang the "Banana Boat Song." From there, his career took off, becoming the first artist to sell 1 million albums, and becoming the first Black American to win an Emmy and produce a TV show.
Belafonte's work for social justice made him an icon, walking alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and planning the 1963 March on Washington. Freedom Center president Woody Keown remembers Belafonte coming to Cincinnati on Nov. 17, 2001.
"He leveraged his platform to go around the country to help people around the world to understand the importance of having this Freedom Center here in Cincinnati, Ohio," said Keown.
During that time, Belafonte walked through downtown and Over-the-Rhine and had a message about bringing peace to the city before the Freedom Center could become a reality.
"From the poorest homeless person to the wealthiest person John Pepper and others sitting at the top of the ladder ... they all know that this center is theirs," said Belafonte.
Nearly one year later, some criticized Belafonte for what he said about OTR on CNN's Larry King Live.
"It is my personal feeling that plantations exist all over America. If you walk into South Central Los Angeles, into Watts, or you walk into Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati, you'll find people who live lives that are as degrading as anything that slavery had ever produced. They live in economic oppression, they live in a disenfranchised way."
"I look at our situation here in Over-the-Rhine, I think he'd be a lot more pleased with what he sees today than what he saw in that time frame," said Keown. "He would say there's more work to be done, I think some of the progress that we accomplished, you know, there are trade-offs with that, things like gentrification and so forth, but I think overall he would be pleased it would be a much different OTR than he saw in 2001."
Hamilton County Municipal Judge Tyrone Yates said the community and public officials took their cues from Belafonte. Yates said he admired Belafonte for having the courage to take a stand no matter how uncomfortable it might have been.
"What struck me about him and my own life is his clarity about the kind of country that we ought to have, and I have always shaped my public life to be direct to be truthful and to tell the American story like it is," said Yates. "I think one of the things that made Americans from time to time uncomfortable is the fact he was so blunt of his criticism of what he wanted America to be. He criticized America, but he loved America at the same time."
The Freedom Center is planning on honoring Belafonte Sunday, April 30, but as of Tuesday night, WCPO did not have any specific information about the event.
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