Legendary entertainer and civil rights activist, Harry Belafonte, will be honored in his hometown, NYC, by having a branch of the NYPL named after him.
Born in Harlem in 1927, Harry Belafonte is most famous for popularizing the Caribbean musical style in the 50s and for being a prominent figure during the Civil Rights Movement.
It was announced by officials yesterday that the 115th Street branch library will now operate under a new name, the Harry Belafonte-115th Street Library.
CurbedNY covered the event quoting Belafonte as saying:
“On March 1st 90 years ago, I was born here. Harlem holds a very special place in my heart, and I’m so honored that I will now have a special place in Harlem. A library is a place for people to come together, to learn about their world and explore new ideas…I am hopeful that when people come to this place that will now bear my name, they will be inspired to learn about some of the pursuits I’ve held most dear — music, writing and social justice”
Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement:
“drive and impact in the realms of social justice, civil rights, culture, and activism, especially in the Harlem community,”
Featured image source [commons.wikimedia]
