The Miseducation of Harry Belafonte [says black Republicans are like Hitler's Jewish Nazi leaders]

National Review ^ | October 07, 2005 | Reverend Joseph N. Evans

[grundle]

October 07, 2005, 8:02 a.m.

The Miseducation of Harry Belafonte

Day light come and I want to set the record straight.

By Reverend Joseph N. Evans

Only a short time before the Katrina devastation and subsequent racial hysteria hit landfall, during a "Keep the Vote Alive" march in Atlanta, renowned singer Harry Belafonte made some pretty strong comments about African Americans who identify themselves with a conservative political philosophy and agenda. According to media reports, he called them "tyrants," and went on to make an amazing comparison involving Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. "Hitler had a lot of Jews high up in the hierarchy of the Third Reich," said Belafonte. "Color does not necessarily denote quality, content, or value."

Now, you don't need to know all that much about history to know that there were, in fact, no Jews in the upper echelons of the Third Reich — so when people make comments like Belafonte's, there has obviously been some serious miseducation going on. What happened to Belafonte?

Harry Belafonte started his political activism in the 1960s, as a prominent leader in the civil-rights movement; he was one of its major financial backers, and persuaded other celebrities to contribute as well. More recently, he has become a recognized global humanitarian, supporting Africare and other organizations that work to relieve the abject living conditions of the poor. He has participated in several undeniably noble causes.

Along the way, though, he has accumulated a plethora of misinformation; in short, he knows less than he thinks he knows. (National Review Online's own Victor Davis Hanson has accurately described how this syndrome has affected other celebrities: "Entertainers wrongly assume that their fame, money, and influence arise from broad knowledge rather than natural talent, looks, or mastery of a narrow skill.") A more broadly educated person would situate people like Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice in the context of African-American conservative achievement. Frederick Douglass, for example, was a Republican, and defended Republican principles throughout his professional career — as marshal (1877-1881), recorder of deeds (1881-1886) for the District of Columbia, and minister to Haiti (1889-1891). He influenced Abraham Lincoln on the Emancipation Proclamation, and is a key figure in the history of civil rights in America. Would Harry Belafonte like to blast him, too, for being a Republican?

And does Belafonte know that when the Civil Rights Act — the most important modern civil-rights legislation — was passed, a greater proportion of House Republicans than House Democrats voted for it? As one writer has pointed out, "Without Republicans the bill would have failed."

What Belafonte needs to know is that the Republican party of George W. Bush is in the Lincoln tradition: a party that strongly favors civil rights and racial equality. If more people understood this, Democrats would be right to fear a major shift in U.S. politics, the return of African Americans to the party of Lincoln and Douglass. Harry Belafonte has a great opportunity up in the bully pulpit: He should use it to tell people the truth, instead of passing on to them his own unfortunate miseducation.

— Reverend Joseph N. Evans serves as senior pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., one of the city's oldest and largest predominantly African-American congregations.

[aft_lizard]

Come mister tally man, tally me IQ, history come and me just dont know.

[stm]

Since when does being well-informed have anything to do with what the libs or poverty pimps like JJ say or do?

"If da facts don't fit, you must fabricate it."

[RexBeach]

Good post.

But I really don't care a fig for what Harry Belafonte thinks - one way or the other. He's a meathead.

[ncountylee]

Belafonte, as most extreme leftists, is feeling not fact based.

[JennysCool]

Shut up and ... on the other hand, just shut up.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"What happened to Belafonte?" Star Megalomania. Hasn't been in the limelight lately or sold records, time to lay out a little controversy to up the monthly royalties. Husband to Wife: "Hey, did you see what Belafonte said yesterday? Man, that cat is crazy. Let's go buy his records."

[Redgirl]

Belafonte's views mirror the White Supremacists'. What a DUmmy.

[tumblindice]

Haroldine the drama queen

[DogBarkTree]

If Scary Harry and Screwy Loui were correct they would have become a lamp shades and bars of soap a long time ago.

[stm]

[reagan_fanatic]

I think Belafonte's views should be heard. After all, society must learn to listen to a broad range of its citizens, including those who are mentally challenged.

[GreenHornet]

Let's see.....Harry Belafonte.....didn't he have a career in show business about 35-40 years ago?

[DoughtyOne]

What it must be like to live in the world Belafante dreamed up for himself.

[Stultis]

Now, you don't need to know all that much about history to know that there were, in fact, no Jews in the upper echelons of the Third Reich — so when people make comments like Belafonte's, there has obviously been some serious miseducation going on.

Hmmm. Maybe Harry has an inflated perception of Jewish influence because he made a very lucrative career singing fake "calypso" songs written by Jews?

How performing fake songs written by "whitey" but purporting to represent black, carribean culture makes Harry a more authentic black person than Condi or Colin I couldn't say.

[Beth528]

Harry,is a half wit racist pig..Just like the other morons in show business that think they know something about politics..He is just jealous because there are some intelligent blacks in the country..Not like the ones him and his half wit friends want to keep dependent on the government..Go back to Jamaica ,Harry, maybe someone there won't think you are such a moron..

[tophat9000]

"Hitler had a lot of Jews high up in the hierarchy of the Third Reich," said Belafonte.

Maybe Harry's confusing Jews with Gays in the Third Reich hierarchy

[isthisnickcool]

Day O Day O

Jews come and me wanna go
Day me say day me say day Me say day me say day o
Jews come and me wanna gohome
work all night and a drink a rum
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
Stack banana till the mornin come
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
Come mister tally man tally me bananas
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
come mister tally man tally me bananas
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
lift six foot seven foot eight foot bunch!
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
six foot seven foot eight foot bunch!
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
day me say day o
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
Day me say day me say day me say day o(Jews come and me
wanna go home)
A beauitful bunch of ripe banana!
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
hide the deadly black tarantula!
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
lift six foot seven foot eight foot bunch!
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
six foot seven foot eight foot bunch!
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
Day me say day o
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
Day me say day me say day me say day o(Jews come and me
wanna go home)
come mister tally man tally me banana
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
come mister tally man tally me banana
(Jews come and me wanna go home)
Day O Day O(Jews come and me wanna go home)
day me say day me say day me say day o
(Jews come and me wanna go home)

[grundle]

Ha ha ha! Very funny! And very good!

[Beth528]

Harry this is your kind of black men...Ignorant!Money grubbers..