[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E835]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRATULATING HARRY BELAFONTE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 4, 1999

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Harry 
Belafonte for receiving the 1999 Drum Major For Justice Award. The Drum 
Major For Justice Award banquet seeks to honor those Americans whose 
achievements most coincide with the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, 
Jr.
  Mr. Belafonte was a confidant and advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, 
Jr. Mr. Belafonte's activity in the human rights struggle is respected 
world wide. He has always believed that his work for human rights and 
his artistic pursuits gave him the basis for a most productive and 
balanced life.
  Harry Belafonte had been called ``the consummate entertainer'' an 
artist in every field in which he has participated, including movies, 
Broadway, television, recording, concerts and producing. His first 
album ``Calypso,'' in 1955, was the first to sell more than one-million 
copies. Among other ``firsts'' were his being the first African-
American to win an Emmy, and the first African-American television 
producer.
  However, it is Mr. Belafonte's dedication to the civil rights 
movement that has earned him this honor. His involvement dates back to 
the marches in Selma, Montgomery and Washington. Mr. Belafonte has also 
been chairman of the MLK Memorial Fund. He was named by President 
Kennedy as Cultural Advisor to the Peace Corps, and received the Dag 
Hammarskjold Peace Medal in 1981, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace 
Prize in 1982. In 1987 he was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador 
(only the second American to hold the title), and in 1990 he was host 
for the U.N.'s World Summit on the Child; this was attended by heads of 
state from all over the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Harry Belafonte for his 
accomplishments and for following the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, 
Jr. I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Belafonte many years 
of continued success.

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