On March 1, 1927, Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. was born in New York City to Jamaican-born parents Harold Sr. and Melvine. Belafonte received his primary education at Wolmer’s Schools while growing up in Jamaica with his grandmother.
He enrolled in George Washington High School when he returned to New York. After that, Belafonte joined the US Navy for World War II. Later, after seeing the American Negro Theater and running across actor Sidney Poitier, he fell in love with the performing arts.
Belafonte joined the American Negro Theater and studied acting at the New School’s Dramatic Workshop around the end of the 1940s.
What Was Harry Belafonte’s Net Worth?
American musician, actor, and social crusader Harry Belafonte had a $30 million fortune at his passing. At 96, Harry Belafonte passed away on April 25, 2023.
In addition to other songs, Belafonte is best known for his famous recordings of “Day-O (Banana Boat Song)” and “Matilda,” which helped to popularize calypso music.
His 1956 album “Calypso” (which featured the songs “Day-O” and “Jamaica Farewell”) spent 31 weeks at the top of the Billboard album chart and made history by becoming the first recording by a single artist to sell more than 1 million copies.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, this album helped Belafonte become a touring phenomenon and the highest-paid black singer ever. In addition to appearing in movies like “Carmen Jones” and “Odds Against Tomorrow,” he also made a remarkable cameo in Spike Lee’s 2018 thriller “BlacKkKlansman.”
Belafonte was a significant activist in the South African anti-Apartheid and American civil rights movements. He was close friends with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and used his money to support Dr. King’s family following his ki!!ing and bail out civil rights activists.
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Manhattan Building
Harry struggled to locate a residence for his family in New York City that would accommodate black tenants in 1958. He applied to rent an apartment at 300 West End Avenue and West 74th Street.
Harry was among the world’s highest-paid and most well-known celebrities, but the landlord rejected his application because he didn’t want black renters, despite that.
The applicant was initially going to be accepted by the landlord because he believed Harry to be white. He thought otherwise, then decided otherwise.
Ramfis Trujillo, a male, served as the landlord. Rafael, the father of Ramfis, served as president of the Dominican Republic until he was assassinated a few years later.
Eleanor Roosevelt, a former first lady, even wrote an opinion piece in which she lamented about his situation:
“I am sure that every New Yorker was shocked the other day to read that Harry Belafonte and his charming wife and baby were finding it practically impossible to get an apartment in New York City except in what might be considered segregated areas or in a hotel. I have long been saying that in the North we have only one step to take to meet the Supreme Court order of non-segregation in schools, and that is non-segregation in housing. In New York State we have the laws necessary to achieve non-segregated housing if we saw that they were diligently respected.”
Harry was unafraid. In fact, he devised a clever plan to secure housing for his family and collect rent from the landlord who had turned them down.
What did Harry do?
Harry and a few partners created a covert business entity and acquired the entire structure.
Harry then went about making the structure a co-op that was available to everyone who applied. Lena Horne, a singer, moved in shortly after.
Belafonte granted himself the entire fifth story of the building, a 7,000 square foot space with 21 rooms that include a library, a pool room, a sauna, eight bedrooms, and more. Marc Chagall, Deigo Rivera, and other artists’ pieces, among others, adorned his walls.
Harry turned the apartment into the civil rights movement’s hub in New York City, frequently hosting events with leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy.
For the next 50 years, Harry lived in the building and sold off units one at a time, including to famous people like Tina Fey.
In 2005, Harry put his apartment up for sale for $15 million. He eventually sold it to Abigail Disney in 2009 for $10.75 million.
When Did Harry Buy The 3.3 Acres on St. Martin’s?
Harry purchased a 3.3-acre piece of land on the Caribbean island of St. Martin in 1982. In September 2005, he sold this house for $2.2 million.
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