Throughout an acclaimed career spanning more than six decades, entertainer Harry Belafonte leveraged his passion and talents to champion the arts, spotlight humanitarian issues and advance justice. Born in 1927 Harlem, he moved to his mother's native island, Jamaica. There, he embraced Caribbean culture and witnessed the impact of  British colonization on the island. In his late teens, Belafonte served in the US Navy and later fell in love with performing. In 1946, he played the lead in "Days of Our Youth" at Harlem's American Negro Theater. His understudy was Sidney Poitier.

Honoring the legacy of civil rights activist, artist, and singer Harry Belafonte | CNN

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