Harry Belafonte is a very well-respected artist and activist, but when it comes to other famous minorities, he’s not so quick to express any mutual admiration.
The 84-year-old was recently asked about his thoughts on “the image of members of minorities in Hollywood today” and he responded that he is “not at all” happy about it.
So who is giving minorities a bad rep these days? Beyoncé and Jay-Z!
The King of Calypso bashed the power couple for turning “their back on social responsibility,” but praised non-minority Bruce Springsteen in process, as he explained:
“They have not told the history of our people, nothing of who we are. We are still looking. We are not determinated. We are not driven by some technology that says you can kill Afghans, the Iraqis or the Spanish. It is all — excuse my French — shit. It is sad. And I think one of the great abuses of this modern time is that we should have had such high-profile artists, powerful celebrities. But they have turned their back on social responsibility. That goes for Jay-Z and Beyonce, for example. Give me Bruce Springsteen, and now you├óΓé¼Γäóre talking. I really think he is black.”
The Single Ladies singer isn’t letting Belafonte tarnish her reputation though and has already responded with “an abbreviated list of the unselfish work” that she has done over the course of her magnificent career.
A few credits to her “social responsibility” include co-founding The Survivor Foundation, donating “100K in 2008 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund to aid Texas victims of Hurricane Ike,” while performing in and donating to “MTV├óΓé¼Γäós Hope For Haiti Now! Benefit.”
Most recently, Beyonc├â┬⌐ helped launch a global humanitarian campaign with the United Nations and helped out with Michelle Obama‘s “Let’s Move” campaign to fight childhood obesity.
Seems like she hasn’t turned her back on ANY responsibility and has taken on more than most human beings could ever dream of handling!
[Image via WENN.]