15 Harry Belafonte Quotes We Need to Hear Now More Than Ever

On Tuesday, the world was saddened to learn of the passing of legendary entertainer and civil rights icon Harry Belafonte.

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Throughout his 96 years of life, his work both in the arts and philanthropic spaces left an indelible impact that we’re still benefitting from to this day. In the times that we’re living in where the fight for fairness seems to get more challenging by the moment, we felt it fitting to look back on a handful of famous quotes from Belafonte for inspiration to help us continue in our quest.

“You can cage the singer, but not the song.”

“My activism has always existed. My art gave me the platform to do something about the activism.”

“Movements don’t die, because struggle doesn’t die.”

“Fascism is fascism. Terrorism is terrorism. Oppression is oppression.”

“Peace is necessary. For justice, it is necessary. For hope, it is necessary, for our future.”

“Bring it on. Dissent is central to any democracy.”

“I don’t think we are a species or a people that can exist without making mistakes somewhere along the line.”

“Although slavery may have been abolished, the crippling poison of racism still persists, and the struggle continues.”

“I am a man who perceives life in a certain way, a man who rejects things that defecate on humankind, who rejects anything that does not give people room for dissent.”

“Art in its highest form is art that serves and instructs society and human development.”

“I am who I am despite what America has put before me. I am who I am despite the obstacles that we have all faced based upon race and based upon social and spiritual humiliation.”

“If I’ve impacted one heart, one mind, one soul and brought to that individual a greater truth than that individual came into a relationship with me having, then I would say that I have been successful.”

“I’m not gonna do anything other than what I think is worthy of being done.”

“Each and everyone of you has the power, the will and the capacity to make a difference in the world in which you live.”

“Artists are the gatekeepers of truth. We are civilization’s anchor. We are the compass for humanity’s conscious.”