Harry Belafonte’s death at the age of 96 has left a glaring hole in the world of entertainment. In addition to his work as a singer and actor, Belafonte was also a dedicated activist who used his platform during the civil rights movement to amplify the work of pioneers like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Celebrities and other prominent figures took time today (April 25) to pay tribute to the king of calypso. Dr. King’s daughter, Bernice King, mourned his loss by sharing memories from her childhood and a photo of him at her father’s funeral. “When I was a child, Harry Belafonte showed up for my family in very compassionate ways. In fact, he paid for the babysitter for me and my siblings,” she said in a tweet seen below. “I won’t forget… Rest well, sir.”
Oprah Winfrey shared her condolences in a heartfelt Instagram post seen below. “Another ‘GREAT TREE’ has fallen,” she lamented, calling the “Jamaica Farewell” crooner “a trailblazer and hero to us all.” “Thank you for your music, your artistry, your activism, your fight for civil rights and justice — especially risking your life back in the day to get money to the movement,” she continued. “Your being here on Earth has blessed us all.”
Rev. Al Sharpton shared his sympathy on Twitter, as seen below. “I’m heartbroken at hearing of the death of Harry Belafonte, a true mentor and friend,” he wrote. “I cherished the time he would give me and others to guide us and correct us. He was a history changing activist, a culture changing entertainer, and an unmatched intellectual.”
Sheryl Lee Ralph, who worked with Belafonte in the 1995 film White Man’s Burden, shared her sadness with a touching Instagram post, as seen below. “We lost a true Jamaican American hero today,” she mourned. “Harry Belafonte was so many things and a supportive mentor and role model to me. I thank him for the love and support he gave to me and my children over the years. My love and prayers to the Belafonte family. He will be deeply missed.”
SZA shared her heartbreak with a photo of Belafonte on her Instagram Stories. “Wow… God bless this man,” she wrote with a white heart and dove emoji. “An icon in my household.”
Patti LaBelle, a music icon in her own right, shared a photo with Belafonte on Instagram, as seen below. “Rest in love and power Mr. Belafonte!” she wrote. “You will always be remembered.”
Debbie Allen shared a similar sentiment on Instagram with a photo of the two seen below. “Harry, I will always treasure the wonderful conversations we had,” she said. “Thank you for inspiring the world to fight for freedom and humanity.”
Whoopi Goldberg marked his passing on today’s episode of “The View.” “For me, this is really, really personal,” she admitted in the clip seen below. “Harry, for me, was one of those people that no matter what I stepped in, he never stepped away from me. Ever.”
Colin Kaepernick, an activist himself, shared his gratitude and grief in a tweet seen below. “Thank you, Mr. B, for all of your years of mentorship, guidance, and lifetime of activism fighting for a better future for all of us. You will be missed by many, but your memory and impact live on,” he said alongside a photo of the two together. He ended his tribute with a timeless quote from the award-winning entertainer: “Movements don’t die, because struggle doesn’t die.”