Legendary Singer and Civil Rights Activist Harry Belafonte Passes Away at 96
Harry Belafonte, the first Black man to win a Tony and an Emmy, a singer, actor, and civil rights activist, died at the age of 96 due to congestive heart failure. Belafonte was known for his magnetic charm and wistful Caribbean folk songs, including his version of the "Banana Boat Song." He was a confidant to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and a friend of the marginalized. Belafonte also established one of the first all-Black music publishing companies and helped launch one of the first voter registration drives in Mississippi.