ONLINE: The Gathering for Harry
Pamela Belafonte
Singer, activist and actor Harry Belafonte.
media release: In celebration of legendary singer, songwriter, activist and actor Harry Belafonte’s 94th birthday on March 1, a surprise live virtual party will be held on Sunday, February 28, at 6:30 PM ET. The Gathering for Harry will feature performances and appearances from Common, Danny Glover, Chuck D, Bernie & Jane Sanders, Stacey Abrams, Aloe Blacc, Tamika D. Mallory, Rev. Al Sharpton, Jackie Cruz, Aja Monet, Mysonne The General, Diane Nash, Carmen Perez-Jordan, DJ Carisma, Bryan Stevenson and more, benefitting nonprofit organization The Gathering for Justice and sponsored in part by Hope and Robert F. Smith Family - tickets to this event are available here.
As Mr. Belafonte celebrates his 94th birthday, the event will be packed with star-studded performances, video tributes and testimonials by civil rights and racial justice leaders, elected officials, artists, athletes and many more paying homage to the icon and the proud founder of The Gathering for Justice. Belafonte started the organization in 2005 after witnessing a news report of a 5-year-old Black girl being handcuffed and arrested in her Florida classroom for “being unruly.” The organization’s mission is to build a movement to end child incarceration while working to eliminate the racial inequities that permeate the justice system.
As our nation faces a critical time in our democracy and the fight to protect our freedom, much of the work of today’s movement for justice is inspired by the leadership and guidance of Mr. B, as he’s lovingly called. In 2014, Belafonte received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (he is also one of few people to achieve EGOT status by winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award). He was a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a prominent force in ending South Africa’s oppressive apartheid regime and the release of his friend, Nelson Mandela. From his Calypso album being the first LP in history to sell more than one million copies to his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and beyond, Belafonte has created a lasting legacy to remember.
The Gathering for Harry Participants
Aja Monet
Alfre Woodard
Alida Garcia
Aloe Blacc
Andy Tobias
Bernadette Peters
Brea Baker
Brian Satz
Bryan Stevenson (Legacy Award)
Carmen Perez-Jordan
Cassady Fendlay
Christopher Jackson
Chuck D
Common
Congresswoman Barbara Lee
Dannese Mapanda
Danny Glover
Derrick Johnson
Diane Nash
DJ Carisma
Dr. Bernard Lafayette
Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad
Ebro Darden
Feefa
Gaye Theresa Johnson
George Greshem (Legacy Award)
Hope and Robert F. Smith Family (Sponsor)
Ira Gilbert
Jackie Cruz
Jaime Harrison
Jake Holmes
James Early
Jane and Bernie Sanders
Jasmine Delafosse
Jason Daley Kennedy
Julianne Hoffenberg
Keiajah ‘KJ’ Gabbrell (Youth Justice Award)
Keris Lové
Kerry Kennedy
Khary Lazarre-White
Kristine Arroyo
Linda Sarsour
Luis Jonathan Hernandez
Marcia and Michael Eric Dyson
Michael Latt
Michael Skolnik
Mysonne The General
Nané Alejandrez
Phillip Agnew
Rev. Al Sharpton
Roland Martin
Stacey Abrams
SupaMan
Susanne Rostock
Tamika D. Mallory
Tony Shaloub & Brooke Adams
Xochitl Larios (Youth Justice Award)
And more to come