Photos by Isseu Diouf Campbell
Mayor Bill de Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray and New York Public Library President Tony Marx, alongside local elected officials, today honored Harry Belafonte by renaming the 115th Street Library the Harry Belafonte–115th Street Library. Harry Belafonte took part in the plaque unveiling ceremony held at the library in Harlem.
The Library chose to name the branch to reflect the values and passions of the community in which it is located and to honor Belafonte, who grew up in Harlem and has since been a vital part of the Harlem and larger community.
Harry Belafonte has spent his life exposing Americans to world music and challenging and overturning racial barriers across the globe. Recently, Belafonte founded the Sankofa Justice & Equity Fund, a non-profit social justice organization that utilizes the power of culture and celebrity in partnership with activism.
In November 2014, Belafonte received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In November at the 2016 Library Lions gala, Belafonte was honored as a Library Lion.
