American musician, actor, and social activist Harry Belafonte has died at the age of 96 at his home in New York due to congestive heart failure, the AP has reported. Known for his film appearances and his music, Belafonte was one of the first African-American artists to achieve fame. He sold more than one million records, and his best-known song is “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).”
In the 1960s, he became an activist and participated in protest marches and benefit concerts. He worked closely with his friend and generational peer, Martin Luther King Jr., one of the main leaders of the civil rights movement in the US His legacy as a social activist is considered equally important as his artistic career.
Belafonte’s influence extended far beyond the world of entertainment. In 1987, he led a campaign to send humanitarian aid to Ethiopia, which was suffering from a severe famine. He has also been noted for his activism in the fight against poverty, racial discrimination, and the defense of workers’ rights. In 2014, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, for his “extraordinary leadership” in the fight for social justice.