Tribute to Titans of the American Civil Rights Movement:
Dr. Harry Belafonte O.M., Dr. Hazel N. Dukes & Ambassador Andrew Young
By The Most Honourable Percival James Patterson, ON, OCC, PC, QC
Statesman-in-Residence, The P.J. Patterson Centre for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy
The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
As we emerge from another observance of Black History Month, it is fitting that CARIB NEWS has created this opportunity to recognize and honour three persons who are not only titans of the Black struggle for respect and equality, but also key architects of freedom in the American society and indomitable leaders in the universal fight for the inalienable human rights and dignity of all people. Of course, the publication itself has been a leading voice for truth, social reconciliation and progressive politics in America for the past 40 years.
The anniversaries of the birth of Dr. Harry Belafonte, Dr. Hazel N. Dukes and Ambassador Andrew Young – all in March, represent an auspicious coincidence that portends the confluence of lives and careers that have served to advance human civilization through selfless service. I join in saluting these icons of the American civil rights movement and iconoclasts in the long fight for racial, political, social and economic freedom, as they attain these significant milestones of celebrating 95 years in the case of Dr. Belafonte, and 90 years both for Dr. Dukes and Ambassador Young.
Harry Belafonte is known as much for his prodigious acting and musical careers as his lifetime commitment to humanitarian causes starting with social activism, alongside the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to break the chains of segregation and racial inequality in America. His clarion calls for freedom and justice echoed throughout the globe and reverberated in places such as the former apartheid South Africa, among other centres of pernicious abuse and oppression. His work to raise millions of dollars to feed people suffering from starvation, as well as his fearless advocacy as UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador, will forever be indelibly etched in the annals of history.
Dr. Belafonte’s strong family connections to Jamaica makes him our own and the familial bond has been cemented by his having been bestowed with the national award of the Order of Merit. His 95th birthday is a moment in time for reflection on a life well lived and to salute a lifetime of exemplary achievements through extraordinary discipline, hard work and the surmounting of innumerable odds.
Hailing as she does from Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. Hazel Dukes shares a rich history with many other outstanding heroes and heroines including Dr. Rosa Parks, the Rev. Dr. King and many others, whose lifetime of social activism was spawned in hat southern cradle of the American civil rights movement. She dedicated her life to advancing the cause of the American Black community and utilized her significant knowledge and expertise in business and role in the church, to empower women and to assist disadvantaged communities to create sustainable economic opportunities for their residents. May her 90th birthday symbolize another special landmark in her life of service to her people, nation and the world.
I had the distinct honour to have worked professionally with Ambassador Andrew Young throughout his long and distinguished career as a congressman, diplomat and Mayor of the city of Atlanta. I count myself even more privileged to have enjoyed a close friendship with him since the 1970s.
Of course, the impact of Ambassador Young’s phenomenal work as a Minister of Religion, confidante and advisor to the Rev. Dr. King, community builder, and as a key architect and leader in the American civil rights movement, predates his illustrious political career. Jamaica and other developing nations of the world continue to be grateful to Ambassador Young for his relentless advocacy on their behalf in the seat of power within the United States government, in the corridors and halls of the United Nations, as well as in the boardrooms of major multinational financial institutions. For these and other reasons, his legacy is lasting and timeless. I am delighted to join in extending felicitations on his 90th birthday.
CARIB NEWS deserves commendation for this thoughtful tribute to these three persons who have had, and continue to have, a tremendous and lasting impact on the world through their various and distinguished contributions to American society and the global community. Their lives and work have created strong foundations for modern America and the global community that remain unshakable though severely tested at times. Their legacies serve as eternal beacons of hope for this and future generations.
I extend to them my very best wishes.
P.J. Patterson