Remembering Harry Belafonte's visit with the Dream Defenders at the Florida Capitol

The “barrier-breaking singer, actor and activist” Harry Belafonte – as the New York Times described him – died Tuesday in his New York City home after a lifetime of award-winning performances and human rights work. He was 96. Belafonte also made a star turn in the Florida Capitol, visiting the Dream Defenders social justice group in 2013 during their month-long, round-the-clock sit-in at the Florida Capitol to protest the death of Trayvon Martin. 

The Tallahassee Democrat on Tuesday republished its coverage of Belafonte’s appearance then, his first visit to Florida’s capital. Belafonte told a crowd, “I'm here because I am a part of your history. You called, and I'm here to tell you that those of us who have been in this struggle for over a century are happy to be part of this moment.”

Belafonte used his early fame as a calypso and Afro-Caribbean singer to advocate for social and humanitarian causes. For instance, he was an early supporter of the civil rights movement and worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. Later, he advocated for the end of apartheid in South Africa and opposed the Vietnam War.

While in Tallahassee, Belafonte also admonished then-Gov. Rick Scott, according to the Democrat: "I'm just here to support these people and to tell (Scott) … this is just the beginning of the journey. And I would suggest that he deal with it now while there's sanity and peace and a willingness to not see anything go askew.”