Harry Belafonte: What good is a Conscience if it is not Awakened

911 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Struggles and freedom for african americans

I will always hold in my heart a state of conscious revere for those people who blazed the trails for equality whether it was for: race, creed, color, religion, sexual orientation or women, men and children; Harry Belafonte is one of those individuals whom has inspired me do better and fight the for the rights of my fellow human beings. “ Can I tell you something there’s a lot people out here who are pissed off! We are angry were upset we are sad, we hold our children, wheel our wheel chairs we look around for some comfort and we don’t find any! Well we have to look to ourselves cause I think the last frontier of truth and hope in this country is for people themselves. Somewhere in this moment my soul, somewhere in this moment all that I had known all that I had felt all that I had experienced commanded me to say what do you do now…?” Harry Belafonte (Harry Belafonte Sing Your Song: What good is a Conscience if it is not Awakened) Mr. Belafonte was born in Harlem, his father left soon after he was born leaving his mother no choice but to send he and his brother to Jamaica. She encouraged them to never get up in the morning without a purpose and to always fight injustice. His early memories of that time were the family taking he and his brother to the local market where they witnessed the poverty and injustices, which occurred there. The people sung native songs that later influenced his music career and inspired his philanthropy. As young man he joined the U.S Army fought and for his country. When he returned to his civilian life it was obvious that he was not held in the same regard as his fellow white comrades with whom he had fought alongside. It was a shock to his sense of self that he was not entitled to the same free... ... middle of paper ... ...East. His fight for human rights spans more than sixty years and is still going strong today. The mission as a goodwill ambassador not only rings truth across the globe but also in the inner cities of the U.S where Harry Belafonte stands a proud supporter of youth programs and forums of which he is an organizer and speaker. He has implemented forums for the youth to have a voice one very famous on called Harry Belafonte holds in his lion heart a purpose that I am lucky to be affected by deeply. He inspires me to raise my voice above the crowd with a battle cry that I will not stand for injustice to anyone no matter their background. I am inspired to tell you about his work because everyone should know about his amazing accomplishments; and the things he is still doing today to drastically change perspective with respect to human rights at a Federal level.

Show More
Related

  • Wendell Phillips' Speech on Toussaint-Louverture

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    In a debate in 1851, famed abolitionist Wendell Phillips presented a moving and forceful argument for acceptance of African Americans into the military by telling the story of the Haitian general, Toussaint-Louverture. Phillips' message survives today, over a century later, not only as a tribute to the hero who rose from slavery to create the first black republic, but also as a compelling statement against racial discrimination. Expertly using a mix of literary devices, including juxtaposition, irony, metaphor, and personification, Phillips enables his audience to see, through the lens of the orator's mind, the ideals that he promotes.

    Read More

  • White Supremacism In Battle Royal, By Ralph Ellison

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” is an eye opening story. Ellison introduces us to a black nameless citizen. All the nameless citizen wants is to be acknowledged and to please the white men, which is strange given the white common men are forcing him to brutally fight his black peers. Ellison’s story is focusing on the ignorance of African Americans due to the constant deception of the white supremacist. (Ellison)

    Read More

  • The Military: An Impetus for Social Reform

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    The military since the Colonial Era has been an impetus for social reform in the United States. The Revolutionary War afforded Black Americans an opportunity to escape from the toils of slavery and fight for freedom. Some Black Americans even earned their freedom by fighting for the Colonists, but still the freedom they fought for wasn’t their own. However, the military was responsible for the freedom of many slaves and some of these freed slaves became legendary soldiers like Salem Poor. His performance in battle gave credibility for future arguments about blacks being allowed to serve.

    Read More

  • Was World War II A Turning Point For African Americans?

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    Those studying the experience of African Americans in World War II consistently ask one central question: “Was World War II a turning point for African Americans?” In elaboration, does World War II symbolize a prolongation of policies of segregation and discrimination both on the home front and the war front, or does it represent the start of the Civil Rights Movement that brought racial equality? The data points to the war experience being a transition leading to the civil rights upheavals of the 1960s.

    Read More

  • The Tuskegee Airmen

    2006 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Tuskegee Airmen were a fine example of many who had fought for equality between blacks and whites as well as many who had sought opportunity for blacks in those times, and had a high number of achievements and awards during their time in the military. Works Cited George, Linda and Charles. The Tuskegee Airmen. Canada: Children's Press, 2001. Brooks, Philip.

    Read More

  • Role of Blacks in the American Revolutionary War

    2182 Words  | 5 Pages

    The quote above is from the British governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore who proclaimed freedom for African American slaves who fought for the British, after George Washington announced there would be no additional recruitment of Blacks in the Continental army in 1776. For numerous free blacks and enslaved blacks, the Revolutionary War was considered to be an essential period in black manifestation. Many public officials (like Dunmore), who initially had not expressed their views on slavery, saw the importance of African Americans and considered them an imperative tool in winning the war. Looking back, it almost seems like an inherent paradox in white America’s desire of emancipation from England while there still enslaving blacks. This concept has different grounds in white’s idea of liberation in comparison to that of the African-Americans. To white Americans, this war was for liberation in a political/economical tone rather than in the sense of the privatized oppression that blacks suffered from. But what started this war and what would this mean for blacks? How did these African Americans contribute to the war effort? What were there some of their duties? How did the white communities perceive them? How did it all end for these blacks? The main topic of this paper is to show how the use African Americans helped the control the outcome of the war while monitoring their contributions.

    Read More

  • A Raisin in the Sun: The Duality of African-America, George Murchison and Joseph Asagai

    1367 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, – this longing to attain self-consciousness, manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost. He would not Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message f...

    Read More

  • Why The Confederacy Lost The Civil War: Why The Confederacy Lost The Civil War

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    Glatthaar’s essay “Black Glory: The African-American Role in Union Victory” focuses on the important roles of African Americans in the Civil War. Although prominent in the Navy the Army is where blacks needed to make their mark. Originally blacks were a resource for the Confederate Army. They picked up where the white soldiers left off on the home front and behind the lines of battle. A quote from “General in Chief Henry Halleck to Grant, “Every slave withdrawn from the enemy is equivalent to a white man put hors de combat [out of action]” (146) shows acknowledgement of this. Glatthaar expands on how the Union enlisting black soldiers freed up many of the seasoned white soldiers. Many Union soldiers were prejudice and did not view them as equals. “Blacks had to fight Confederates in the front and discrimination in the rear.” (155) This essay supports how over time there grew comradery between black and white soldiers however post war, whites began to minimize the value of their black brothers in arms. What Glatthaar does best is point out that even though their battles were not as glorified in the public eye their efforts began before they took up arms in the war and they were a crucial part of the Union

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King James Mlk Speech: The MLK Speech

    1516 Words  | 4 Pages

    In conclusion, King’s “I Have a Dream,” played a major step in inspiring generations of blacks to never give up and made thousands of white Americans bitterly ashamed of their lack of moral and Godly values, forging a new start for the American society that embraces racial equality. The speech’s heart-warming and moving content coupled with King’s effective voice and the usage of literary devices such as Aristotle’s Art of Rhetoric have made this speech the greatest of the 20th century.

    Read More

  • The Story of Charles Houston

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...eing a lawyer, helping the NAACP so profusely, to name a few. He’s done so much, changed so many things in his life, even after his death, through his teachings.

    Read More

  • Harry T. Moore African American Heroes

    519 Words  | 2 Pages

    Countless well-known African American Heroes such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman may fill the minds of people today. Even a young child today knows of these great people. However so many others are forgotten or not even heard of in today’s society. Brave Heroes, who fought the fight, paid the price, but go unheard of. One such hero was Harry T. Moore, who is one of the reasons Florida was, is, and will forever be a safe place to live, work, and raise a family due to his efforts in equalizing salaries, voting, and safety.

    Read More

  • World War II And WWII Impact

    2303 Words  | 5 Pages

    World War I and World War II both had significant social, economic, and political impacts on the lives of African Americans and brought enormous change within American society. Many African Americans viewed the war as an opportunity to fight for their country in exchange for equal citizenship rights at home. Unfortunately this was achieved through neither WWI nor WWII despite the irony of the US fighting a war for democracy abroad when discrimination existed on the home front. The central themes explored in which African American lives have been touched by the World wars are migration, military segregation, racial violence and political power. It is evident that although WWI and WWII did not amount to the momentous leap forward that African Americans desired in the pre-war years, the events undoubtedly had profound impacts on the lives of African Americans and ultimately paved the way for the Civil rights movement.

    Read More

  • Harvey Milk

    1065 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ompared to Martin Luther King Jr. for being a great leader. From his amazing persuasion, he changed people’s thoughts and opened their minds. His legacy remains still today, influencing many young and old hearts in all orientations.

    Read More

  • An Outline for a Speech on The Life of Nelson Mandela

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nelson Mandela was born 1918 into a Royal family in a South African village, after the death of his father he was groomed into the role within the tribal leadership. He was the first in his family to receive formal education, he excelled in boxing, track and as well as academics. He attended the elite University of fort Hare, the only western style higher learning institute in South Africa at the time.

    Read More

  • Harry Belfote

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    Harry Belafonte is an actor, singer, and activist who was born March 1, 1927, in New York City. Harry was born to the parents Harold George Bellanfanti Sr & Melvine Bellanfanti. Belafonte spent the majority of his early years in Jamaica which is his mother's native country. There he saw the much first-hand oppression of blacks by the English authorities, which left a lasting impression on him. Belafonte returned to New York City's Harlem neighborhood in 1940 to live with his mother. They struggled in poverty, Belafonte was often cared for by others while his mother worked. "The most difficult time in my life was when I was a kid," Belafonte later told People magazine. "My mother gave me affection, but, because I was left on my own, also

    Read More

More about Harry Belafonte: What good is a Conscience if it is not Awakened

Open Document