Harry Belafonte is known for many things including being the "King of Calypso," a civil rights activist and a philanthropist. He has kept himself relevant for more than 50 years with his incredible music and inspiring words. He had many first as an African American including the first African American television producer.

Harold George Belafonte, Jr. was born in Harlem, New York on March 1, 1927. He soon left for Jamaica, where he spent a few years of his youth. He came back to the United States and enlisted in the Navy. After his time there, he decided to try his hand at acting in New York City and worked with both the Negro Theatre and Erwin Piscator's Dramatic Workshop. He was learning at the workshop with other up-and-coming actors like Marlon Brando and Tony Curtis.

Belafonte began recording music and released his first pop album in 1949 and then transitioned into folk music. 1953's Bright Road marked his first film. He also took well to performing on stage and soon earned a Tony Award in 1954 for his role in John Murray Anderson's Almanac. Fame finally found Belafonte in a big way during his role in the film Carmen Jones. He also released more albums and began to embrace his time in Jamaica with Caribbean music in his album Calypso.

By this time Belafonte was now famous enough to try something a little more controversial and accomplished just that with Island in the Sun in 1957 where he pushed racial norms by portraying a romance between an African American man and a white woman. Belafonte also kept up his music career with albums like Belafonte at Carnegie Hall, Jump Up Calypso and The Midnight Special, which also included a performance from the then-unknown Bob Dylan. He won an Emmy in 1960 for producing the show Tonight with Harry Belafonte.

When the British Invasion happened in the ‘60s, Belafonte's popularity dropped a bit, but he continued to release albums. The next two decades, Belafonte focused on being a civil rights activist and humanitarian. He worked closely with USA for Africa and became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 1986. Belafonte pursued more acting roles in the 1990s with films like White Man's Burden in 1995. He continues to be politically involved and is an outspoken opponent of the Bush administration. He has four children, two with first wife, Marguerite Byrd, and two with Julie Robinson.