BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPECIAL — NOTE: This article was published by People Magazine on January 7, 2022. We decided to share it with readers of BAHAMAS CHRONICLE as a Black History Month Special.
Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier were close friends for almost 80 years and fought for civil rights side by side.
Now, Harry, 94, is deep in mourning for Poiter, who died Thursday evening at the age of 94.
The singer’s daughter Shari Belafonte told PEOPLE, “Losing Sidney is probably the most difficult thing my father has had to fathom, more so than losing Martin L. King.”
“They were closer than brothers,” says Shari, 67. “They have known and loved each other for more than 70 years, collaborating, living life to the fullest. While Harry was much more vocal and seemingly more instrumental in the civil rights movement via his stage presence and his navigating the dynamics between Leaders and politicians, Sidney broke those barriers in a much more creative way by taking a stand in the characters he portrayed so brilliantly on film.”
She added, “They both focused on making this world a better place for all people, not just people of color. We grieve for his loss and for his wife and children, our extended family.”
In his own statement, Harry said, “For over 80 years, Sidney and I laughed, cried and made as much mischief as we could. He was truly my brother and partner in trying to make this world a little better. He certainly made mine a whole lot better.
The first Black man to win an Oscar and the first Black solo artist to sell a million LPs met in the mid-1940s while working at The American Negro Theatre in New York City when they were both 20.
At the time, Poitier was working as a janitor in exchange for acting classes and Harry was a stagehand. Both were of West Indian heritage and they bonded over their similar upbringings. Harry was cast in his first acting gig at the theatre, but when he was too sick to perform, his understudy, Poitier, stepped in.
See complete article in People at https://people.com/movies/harry-belafontes-daughter-says-sidney-poitiers-death-is-most-difficult-thing-hes-had-to-fathom/#:~:text=By%20Alexia%20Fern%C3%A1ndez%20Published%20on%20January%207%2C%202022,and%20fought%20for%20civil%20rights%20side%20by%20side.
