On Q: with Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte has hypnotized the nation for decades with his onscreen talent and his off-screen social activism. Belafonte will be in town on August 1, at the Music Box Theatre for a special screening of the movie Odds Against Tomorrow that originally debuted in 1959. N'Digo publisher Hermene Hartman spoke with the legend recently.

N'Digo: Before I ask you a single question, I would like to tell you something. Your acting and performances are marvelous; you are in a class all by yourself. But I am most interested and impressed by your activism. You are stunning, and I just wanted to let you know that. You are profound.
Belafonte: Well, thank you. What a wonderful way to start a morning!

N'Digo: What stirred your activism? What made you interested in the world around you?
Belafonte: One of the most important influencers in my life has been Paul Robeson. He was my mentor. He told me something once that I tried to implement in my life. My popularity was on the rise, and I wanted him to see my show. He was in the audience when I appeared at the Village Vanguard in New York. After the show he said, 'Get them to sing your song, and they will want to know who you are.' He talked to me about the power of popularity and message. He said I could give people a reason to listen.

N'Digo: Many have heralded your role in Odds Against Tomorrow as your best performance. What do you think about that?
Belafonte: I have survived this world of show business by selecting from a menu of eclectic roles. I did not depend on my work solely as an actor. I could always sing and tour.

So in my movie roles, I was free enough to approach the culturally unspeakable. I feel rewarded because I could dig deep into playing a character.

N'Digo: What are you working on these days?
Belafonte: I perform mostly in Europe. I don't sing anymore. I have been working on a documentary for the past two years. It is about those who have had voices. When my friend, Marlon Brando, passed, it stimulated the documentary. I thought the world didn't know the Brando I knew. He was my friend. I want to show him to people, as I knew him. The documentary has multiple voices, and I am the narrator. The world dealt with them superficially. I want to show their reality. The film showcases Marlon Brando and Ossie Davis and others. I want to tell the story of who we are and what we did. I want to share some common experiences in history with different prisms. The working title of the documentary is Sign your Story.

N'Digo: This is a question for the activist in you. Where are we today?
Belafonte: We are in a struggle in America on a perpetual path, the hunt for truth. The black community has never spoken to its blackness, that is, its pain and denial. We have missed several opportunities to come to grips with blackness. Whites deal with a collective guilt, that is, the negativity, the arrogant culture. There is a collapse of culture because we are living out lies. Truth is challenging. It is a force to kill and stifle voices.

Black America has a new class of elitism. We have moved out of race. We are now playing the game of class interest. What do you do with achievement after you have achieved? You talk in evidence of anguish and frustration. When do we stop the jailing of young black men? Who sets the tone?

N'Digo: Where is today's Hollywood?
Belafonte: At the bottom of the list. My first view of Africa, for example, was a Tarzan movie; it should have been titled, How to Destroy a Nation. We have to make choices on the roles. We have paid a price for not having a distribution system.

N'Digo: Who are your favorite actors?
Belafonte: I trained with some of my favorite actors like Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau and Rod Steiger. I like Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones and Danny Glover.

N'Digo: And who are your favorite actresses?
Belafonte: Ruby Dee is my absolute favorite. I like Alfre Woodard very much, also.

N'Digo: What music would we hear on your iPod?
Belafonte: The music of Africa. My favorite male singer is from Senegal. His name is Baaba Maal. And Aretha Franklin is my favorite female vocalist.

For more info about the Odds Against Tomorrow screening, visit www.musicboxtheatre.com or call 773.871.6604.