The Riverside Church hosted a public memorial service Friday honoring the life of late singer, actor, and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte on what would have been his 97th birthday.
“From providing crucial funding for the civil rights movement to achieving unprecedented success as the first artist to sell a million-copy album, Belafonte’s contributions are unparalleled,” the church said in a statement. “His trailblazing spirit extended beyond music, as he made history as the first Black recipient of an Emmy award. Moreover, his visionary leadership gave rise to the globally acclaimed ‘We Are the World’ fundraising initiative, uniting artists worldwide for humanitarian causes.”
RELATED: Harry Belafonte, versatile entertainer, civil and human rights activist, dead at 96
Open to the public, the service will consisted of tributes, musical performances, and messages paying homage to Belafonte’s legacy.
A Harlem native, Belafonte died of congestive heart failure on April 25, 2023 at age 96.