Harry Belafonte, who passed away today at the age of 96, was not only a Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy-winning singer and actor, he was a vitally important activist who brought many top Hollywood actors to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legendary march on Washington in 1963. Below, his longtime friend, EGOT-winning actress, singer and dancer Rita Moreno, remembers that day, and more.
Harry Belafonte was the reason that a planeload of movie stars showed up for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington in August 1963. The trip came about at his behest. Harry wanted very much for Dr. King to understand that there were people in Hollywood who really cared, people who were emotionally involved in politics and cared for the welfare of people of any color.
We had chartered a plane to take us from Los Angeles to Washington. There’s a great photograph of myself, Marlon Brando, Harry and James Garner posing on the steps of the plane.
Jimmy [Garner] was really, really nervous about being part of this. He was guzzling Pepto-Bismol. He had an ulcer that was really acting up. He was really frightened. He thought he’d probably never work again after going to this demonstration. I thought the same thing about myself — I just didn’t have the ulcer. But we both felt — as everybody did on that plane — that it would be irresponsible not to show up. We knew we had to be there to bear witness.
I’ll never forget when we got to the Lincoln Memorial and I looked out at the sea of humanity — the importance of the civil rights movement really sunk in to me. I sat not 10 or 15 feet away from Dr. King as he spoke. And I remember thinking at that time, it was Harry that made this happen for those of us from Hollywood.
Harry and I were good friends. He was jolly, he was hilarious and he was sexy beyond belief. He had this gorgeous face, and I used to tease him all the time. I’d say, “Nobody this handsome, this adorable, should be so serious.” He loved it.
Harry and I didn’t spend much time talking about what it was like to be a Black or brown person in Hollywood at that time. Our struggles were such a given. It would have been like living in a tropical place and complaining that it’s hot all the time.
Harry always commanded a lot of respect from the film community. Respect and admiration. He was loved not only for the fabulous performer that he was — and boy, could he perform onstage — but also for the work he did. Again, Harry was the fella who set up our visit to Washington. I knew that he’d been close to Dr. King for years at that time, and he became very active politically without worrying about what it might do to his career.
I still have all his old albums. And I play them because I still have an old phonograph. I am really grieving for my dear Harry Belafonte. I loved him. — As told to Cynthia Littleton.
