CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E292 HON
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E292 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks March 1, 2012 TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY Today we give thanks to the many Texans entertainers, Belafonte’s success in the arts that sacrificed for the freedom we now enjoy. did not protect him from racial discrimination, HON. GENE GREEN God bless Texas and God bless America. particularly in the American South. As a result, OF TEXAS f Belafonte refused to perform in the South from IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1954 until 1961. CELEBRATING HARRY Also in the 1950s, Belafonte met a young Thursday, March 1, 2012 BELAFONTE’S 85TH BIRTHDAY Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the latter’s his- Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, toric visit to New York. From that eventful first Friday, March 2, 2012, marks Texas Inde- HON. LAURA RICHARDSON meeting until the day Dr. King was assas- pendence Day. 176 years ago, the Texas OF CALIFORNIA sinated, Belafonte and Dr. King maintained a Declaration of Independence was ratified by IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES deep and abiding friendship. the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the- Dr. King, Jr., said of Belafonte, ‘‘[his] global Brazos. Thursday, March 1, 2012 popularity and his commitment to our cause is This is an important day for Texas and patri- Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise a key ingredient to the global struggle for free- otic Texans observe this occasion with great today to ask the House to join me in extending dom and a powerful tactical weapon in the pride. warm wishes to Mr. Harry Belafonte, a great Civil Rights movement here in America. We In 1824, a military dictatorship took over in American who celebrates his 85th birthday are blessed by his courage and moral integ- Mexico abolishing the Mexican constitution. today. rity.’’ The dictatorship refused to provide trial by Harry Belafonte is not only the consummate Mr. Belafonte could always be counted on jury, freedom of religion, public education for entertainer, but he is a tireless civil rights ad- to be there when the need was greatest. He their citizens, and allowed the confiscation of vocate. He has used the fame and wealth that was there to provide the money to secure Dr. firearms, this last one being the most intoler- he earned early on in his career as a musician King’s release from Birmingham City Jail. He able, particularly among Texans. and actor to support and advance the cause raised thousands of dollars to post the bail The Texas Declaration of Independence of civil and human rights. needed to release other jailed civil rights pro- states that Texas’ government had been ‘‘forc- Harry Belafonte was born Harold George testers. He financed the Freedom Rides, sup- ibly changed, without their consent, from a re- Belafonte, Jr., at Lying-in Hospital, New York ported voter registration drives, and helped to stricted federative republic, composed of sov- City, New York. He was the son of Melvine, a organize the March on Washington in 1963. ereign states, to a consolidated central military housekeeper, and Harold George Belafonte, During ‘‘Freedom Summer’’ in 1964, despotism.’’ Sr., a Jamaican who worked as chef in the Belafonte financed the Student Non-Violent It stated that because of the injustice of Royal Navy. From 1932 to 1940, he lived with Coordinating Committee, SNCC, flying to Mis- Santa Anna’s tyrannical government, Texans his grandmother in the village of Aboukir in sissippi that August with $60,000 in cash and were severing their connection with the Mexi- her native country of Jamaica. When he re- entertaining crowds in Greenwood with his can nation and declaring themselves ‘‘a free, turned to New York City he attended George ‘‘Banana Boat Song.’’ In 1968, Belafonte ap- sovereign, and independent republic . fully Washington High School after which he joined peared on a Petula Clark primetime television invested with all the rights and attributes’’ that the Navy and served during World War II. special on NBC. In the middle of a song, Clark belong to independent nations; and a declara- At the end of the 1940s, he took classes in smiled and briefly touched Belafonte’s arm, tion that they ‘‘fearlessly and confidently’’ com- acting at the Dramatic Workshop of The New which made the show’s sponsor, Plymouth mitted their decision to ‘‘the Supreme Arbiter School in New York with the influential Ger- Motors, nervous. Plymouth wanted to cut out of the destinies of nations.’’ man director Erwin Piscator alongside Marlon the segment, but Clark, who had ownership of The Texas Declaration of Independence Brando, Tony Curtis, Walter Matthau, Bea Ar- the special, told NBC that the performance was fully justified because this military dicta- thur, and Sidney Poitier, while performing with would be shown intact or she would not allow torship had ceased to protect the lives, liberty, the American Negro Theatre. the special to be aired at all. American news- and property of the people of Texas. Belafonte started his career in music as a papers published articles reporting the con- Failure to provide these basic rights violated club singer in New York, a job he took to help troversy and, when the special aired, it earned the sacred contract between a government pay for his acting classes. The first time he high ratings. and the people, and Texans did what we still Belafonte has continued his involvement in appeared in front of an audience he was do today—stand up for our rights by declaring the civil rights struggle to this very day. Re- backed by the Charlie Parker band, which in- our independence to the world. cently, Belafonte spoke at the 50th SNCC An- cluded the great Charlie Parker himself, Max In response, the Mexican army marched to niversary Conference. Texas waging war on the land and the people, Roach, and Miles Davis among others. At first Belafonte did not limit his fight for justice to enforcing the decrees of a military dictatorship he was a pop singer, launching his recording the United States. He has spent his life and through brute force and without any demo- career on the Roost label in 1949, but later he career advocating for human rights around the cratic legitimacy. developed a keen interest in folk music, learn- entire world. For example, disturbed by cruel As future President Sam Houston and other ing material through the Library of Congress’ events unfolding in Africa as a result of war, delegates signed the Texas Declaration of American folk songs archives. With guitarist famine and drought, Belafonte set in motion Independence, General Santa Anna’s army and friend Millard Thomas, Belafonte soon the wheels that led to ‘‘We Are the World,’’ the besieged independence forces at the Alamo in made his debut at the legendary jazz club The iconic song and music video organized by Mi- San Antonio. Village Vanguard. In 1952 he received a con- chael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, that raised Four days after the signing, the Alamo fell tract with RCA Victor. millions in support of famine relief efforts in Af- with her commander Lt. Colonel William Bar- His first wide-release single, which went on rica. In 1987, Belafonte accepted the appoint- rett Travis, Former Tennessee Congressman to become his ‘‘signature’’ song with audience ment as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador—the David Crockett, and approximately 200 other participation in virtually all his live perform- second American to hold this position—the Texan defenders. ances, was ‘‘Matilda,’’ recorded April 27, 1953. first was Danny Kaye. All these men were killed in action, a heroic His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) be- Belafonte has continued to devote himself sacrifice for Texan freedom. If this tragedy came the first LP to sell over 1 million copies. globally to civil and human rights issues, fo- were not enough, weeks later Santa Anna’s The album introduced American audiences to cusing in particular on the United States and army massacred over 300 unarmed Texans at Calypso music and Belafonte was dubbed the Africa. ‘‘My social and political interests are Goliad on March 27. ‘‘King of Calypso.’’ Belafonte was also the first part of my career. I can’t separate them,’’ said In a dramatic turnaround, Texans achieved African American man to win an Emmy, with Belafonte. ‘‘My songs reflect the human condi- their independence several weeks later on his first solo TV special Tonight with Belafonte tion. The role of art isn’t just to show life as April 21, 1836. Roughly 900 members of the (1959). it is, but to show life as it should be.’’ Texan army overpowered a much larger Mexi- More than a musician and entertainer, Belafonte’s international civil rights accom- can army in a surprise attack at the Battle of Belafonte was a civil rights activist and tireless plishments also include his contribution to San Jacinto. I am proud to represent the San leader. Belafonte’s political beliefs are greatly ending the oppressive apartheid in South Afri- Jacinto Battlefield and State Park. inspired by the man that he still views to this ca and securing the release of his friend, Nel- That battle is memorialized along the San day as his mentor: singer and activist Paul son Mandela, imprisoned for twenty seven and Jacinto River with the San Jacinto Monument. Robeson. He strongly opposed racial preju- a half years. The monument is larger than the Washington dice, segregation, and discrimination in the Belafonte was appointed by President John Monument here in DC. United States. Like Robeson and other black F. Kennedy Cultural Advisor for the Peace VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:58 Mar 02, 2012 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A01MR8.003 E01MRPT1 pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with REMARKS.