Jen Nessel, Center for Constitutional Rights, (212) 614-6449, [email protected]
April 25, 2023, New York – In response to the passing of Harry Belafonte, the Center for Constitutional Rights issued the following statement:
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Harry Belafonte, the legendary fighter for justice and active supporter of liberation struggles from the U.S. South to South Africa to Palestine. At the height of his fame in the early 60s, he stepped back from the spotlight to join the Civil Rights Movement, becoming a close ally of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a critical funder of SNCC and other organizations. His civil rights work was only the beginning of decades of radical activism marked by his deep commitment and his courageous willingness to challenge power.
We are proud that Mr. Belafonte was a friend and supporter of our organization. In a keynote Q-and-A at our 2014 Social Justice Conference, he was asked to define radicalism. “The most important ingredient of it from my perspective is to ascertain what, in fact, you are willing to sacrifice for the change that is needed,” he said. “What are you willing to give up? What are you willing to commit to to make change happen?”
Harry Belafonte presente!
The Center for Constitutional Rights works with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, the Center for Constitutional Rights has taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach. Learn more at ccrjustice.org.