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His mother was a complex woman—caring but withdrawn,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.
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