Harry Belafonte (1927-2023) had a long career as a singer and entertainer. What people do not acknowledge was his activism in the civil rights movement and opposing the Vietnam War. Belafonte explains that racism operates in both overt and subtle ways. The impact can be seen in how a person functions in daily life. Career opportunities and just enjoying basic public accommodations were restricted by discrimination. Then the constant issue of lack of political power. Racism was not just part of America, but in the West Indies it was present with British colonial imperialism. Jamacia only got its independence in 1962. This was the island that Belafonte's parents emigrated from. Activists in the civil rights movement began to disapprove of the Vietnam War. America was exporting its racial hatred to Southeast Asia through military aggression. Being a World War II veteran, Belafonte was determined to see a world free of hate and violence. He wanted to see America go beyond a superficial patriotism. Fighting for the political establishment or corporate power is not patriotism. The CBC interview from 1967 of Harry Belafonte has more relevance to America's current domestic and international concerns.
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