In 2013, Harry Belafonte sued the family of his friend and civil rights icon, Martin Luther King Jr., for documents the legendary music and movie star claimed he came to legitimately have by way of his relationship with King.
Among the documents was an unread speech, as well as a letter of condolence President Lyndon Johnson, had personally written to King’s family.
This was not the way King would have wanted things to pan out between those who survived him and his close confidant.
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Above all others, Belafonte was King’s closest friend, at least, as far as the public could tell. Through their relationship, American civil rights struggles of the 1960s were solidified by the grace of celebrity power and grit of moral intellectualism.
As such, it serves us well to remember the good times for our own sake but much has been written about King and what he gave to the struggle.
This one takes note of five important contributions Belafonte made in the life of King and the civil rights campaign.
