Harry Belafonte is having a 94th birthday celebration that will happen during a live-streamed event. The Gathering For Harry is presented by The Gathering For Justice and the proceeds will benefit the organization. The virtual surprise party will have performances and appearances from Common, Jay-Z, Tiffany Haddish, Susan Sarandon, Usher, Charlemagne Tha God, Chuck D, Aloe Blacc, Stacey Abrams, Bernie and Jane Sanders, Jackie Cruz, Tamika D. Mallory and Rev. Al Sharpton. Belafonte founded The Gathering For Justice after reading about a 5-year-old girl being handcuffed for being “unruly” in school. The organization’s mission is to end racial inequality in the justice system and child incarceration. 

Harry Belafonte was a confidante to Martin Luther King. Jr. and he also worked tirelessly to end apartheid in South Africa and for the release of his friend Nelson Mandela. He financed the 1961 Freedom Rides, bailed Dr. King out of jail during the Birmingham Campaign and raised money to free other civil rights protestors. 

Belafonte’s 1956 album Calypso was the first album in history to sell over one million copies and it introduced Americans to calypso music. He was called the King Of Calypso and he is one of the rare few people to reach EGOT status by having an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. 

The Gathering For Harry will take place on February 28, 2021 at 7:00 PM ET. Belafonte’s birthday is March 1st. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.

[youtube id=”ZzJqq8_Sv-8″]Bounce will premiere its one-hour special, Bounce Celebrates Black History Month special along with a variety of movies centered around the African-American experience. Queen Latifah, Common and Harry Belafonte will headline Bounce Celebrates Black History as they present stories about Black life in America. Martin Luther King Jr., The Underground Railroad, Black Pharoahs, Gordon Parks, Dr. Charles Drew, Green Book, Madam C.J. Walker, Cinque Amistad, James Baldwin and a number of African-American firsts will be covered. Civil Rights Icon Andrew Young is featured prominently throughout Bounce Celebrates Black History which premieres Monday, February 10 at 8 PM ET. 

Jesse Williams, Common, Chris Rock and John Legend are some of the performers scheduled for the ‘Many Rivers To Cross’ Social Justice Music and Arts Festival. Harry Belafonte’s Sankofa organization is presenting the event they describe as “the biggest music and arts festival dedicated to social justice.” The festival takes place October 1st & 2nd in Chattahoochee, Georgia and tickets will go on sale July 29th on the Sankofa.org site.