Following Harry: Belafonte, Fighting the Good (non-violent) Fight to the End
By Liam Lacey
Rating: B
As the terrific Once Upon a Time in Harlem hits theatres, here’s another documentary worth watching about Black culture and political resistance. Good to see Black history celebrated in a month other than February.
Following Harry, is an inspiring chronicle of the late singer and actor Harry Belafonte in the last dozen years of his life.
Originally screened at Tribeca in 2024, the film, whose intimate, episodic style is probably best-suited for small screen consumption, is just now coming out on digital release. The film is an informal sequel to director Susanne Rostock’s previous documentary about Belafonte’s career and activism, 2011’s Sing Your Song.
Belafonte, whose 1956 album, Calypso, was the first ever million selling record by a solo artist and became a mainstay of mid-century film and television, always put his celebrity money where his political convictions were. He refused to play segregated theatres in the South, campaigned with his friend, Martin Luther King, and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington. A generation later, he lobbied against South African apartheid and was an organizer of the 1985 We Are the World charity single and related projects for Ethiopian famine relief.
In his late eighties and nineties, with his performing career behind him, during the era of Black Lives Matter and the Trump presidency, he dedicated himself to political activism. Wherever Civil Rights are on the line, Belafonte, known affectionately by his followers as “Mr. B,” always showed up. He lent his encouragement to organizers, reminding them of the historical continuity of the struggle for human dignity, preaching his message of non-violent problem solving. Celebrities like Rosario Dawson and Jamie Foxx talk about how he carved a path they’ve tried to follow
From the protestors taking to the streets over the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012 and Michael Brown in 2014, to the 2017 Women’s March on Washington (Belafonte was an honorary co-chair with Gloria Steinem), to students organizing for gun control and activists against mass incarceration, Belafonte seemed to be everywhere, with hugs, practical advice and probing questions: “What are you reading?” or “What’s your end game?”
Refreshingly, he never indulges in nostalgia or forced cheerleading. Talking to the young activists, Belafonte recalls one of his last conversations with Martin Luther King shortly before his murder., "I fear that I am integrating my people into a burning house.”
The only response, says Belafonte, is to take on the task of fire fighters.
Following Harry. Directed by Susan Rostock. With Harry Belafonte, Aloe Blacc, Chuck D, Jamie Foxx, Rosario Dawson, Angela Davis, Kerry Kennedy and Gina Belafonte. Following Harry is available on Amazon, Apple and other streaming platforms.