Great speech. Two exceptional human beings- thank you Mike, thank you Congresswoman Lee, and especially thank you Mr Belafonte. His career and his activism are an inspiration. He is the best of this country.
I was the in the audience at Town Hall last night and was so delighted with your introduction of Barbara Lee and the shout out to the film just having won the NAACP Image award. I am the filmmaker of Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power and it was beyond fantastic to hear your words, your enthusiasm for Barbara's work and integrity and your comments about the photo of Mr. B and Dr. King. I have been showing the photo to everyone I have seen today. Thank you for
all you do to keep the truth in the spotlight. We have a tough road ahead of us and I am glad to be walking alongside you and Barbara Lee, inspired by Mr. B!!!!! Abby Ginzberg (abbyginzberg@gmail.com)
Happy Birthday Mr. Belafonte!!! You were my first concert. My cousins took me to see you and Miriam Makeba at the Fischer Theatre sometime around 1962. What an incredible event! It started a lifelong love of live music for me. The concert was amazing and incredible and a young girl from a farm in Michigan could not believe her eyes and ears. Thank you!!
Thank you, Michael Moore for sharing your remarks with us and giving me a chance to think about something other than Ukrainians dying, even if just for a couple of moments. I’m a long time fan, showed Roger and Me to my sophomore class many years ago….And I think the most ingenious thing you ever did was taking the gentleman who was ill and been denied payment for a procedure that might have saved his life, you took the sick guy to the insurance company and asked one of the executives to help pick a coffin!! So outrageous! So macabre! and funny in that weird twisted way that usually gets through to people!!! Stay well, Michael Moore, Don’t eat too much crap!!!
Thank you, Michael. I am truly moved by this, and am so grateful for the work you do. What an honor it must have been to be on a stage with Mr. B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yours is a fascinating life, and sharing it second hand with you, with tickets, photos, and your speech honoring two American icons, is so exciting. It must have been a wonderful evening, and a thrilling contrast to Putin's ongoing slaughter in The Ukraine. 'Didn't It Rain' is one of my favorite Harry Belafonte songs, one that I play when my crushed soul needs the revitalization that rain brings, a song that is much needed right now. Barbara Lee is in a class by herself. She doesn't just take the high road, she built it. It would make sense to make the filming of Harry Belafonte's birthday celebration public, so that we can be continually inspired by two of our nation's most important citizens. Thank you, and with care, when it is impossible to ignore the peril that is reality for our sisters and brothers tonight on the human spectrum.
Hi, Mike! I have to get in here before thousands of happy and grateful people beat me out. I’m glad for Harry Belafonte’s birthday, and I’m glad you were able to take part. Harry Belafonte, in addition to being a fine musician, has fought well for Black people’s right to respect and dignity.
The best way to do well during this current situation is to be as well informed as possible. Putin is wrong, but he’s not just a madman. The US and NATO have provoked and frightened him, and broken promises. If he had felt we wanted to know where he was coming from, we might have had peace today.
Mike, you speak to a vast number of people. You’re right that there are a lot of “us” and not so many of “them,” but we need good guidance now.
Harry Belafonte is truly an American treasure. There was a time he was one of the few people who supported the SCLC with his words AND his money. Harry was born in the year Babe Ruth had his best year hitting 60 home runs. 1927 the Yankees were called "Murderer's Row" yet it took 20 years more to start integration of Major League baseball and our military soldiers. Harry Belafonte and Harry Truman had much in common. When Harry Truman signed the new integration policy for the military he just could not wait. When Harry Belafonte raised the most money for the "Jobs, Peace, and Freedom March" in 1983, (to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington), he just couldn't wait to move Coretta's ego aside as well as the egos of the selfish King children. Harry Belafonte told me personally that very soon Dr. King's birthday would be a National Holiday. Tell me where to send the pictures Michael. Two months later, on November 2, 1983, Ronald Reagan signed the date to honor Dr. King into law.
But the greatest thing I remember about Harry Belafonte was when he was leaving the stage. I yelled over to him, "Hey Harry we have been filming this for the Fellowship of Reconciliation all day long and it is hotter than hell up here." Not missing a beat, Harry yelled up to us, "How do you think Cecil B. Demille got started?" The legend Harry Belafonte promised to get us some water and in less than 20 minutes a whole case of really cold water was delivered to us. You know why he did that? Because Harry Belafonte believed we were as important to the March as were the people speaking on stage. I will never forget him for that act of kindness.
The magic of Harry Belafonte is that he has friends in low places. The miracle of love is not that we love you, Harry. The miracle of love is that you love us.
Oh my Dear God. I know in hindsight now, how wrong we were in getting into the war in Afghanistan and then Iraq! Congresswoman Lee what a brave and gracious human being you are. We always, as Americans are too quick to react. As she said, so eloquently said, “We need to step back and take a moment”, as we do at this very moment in time. Yes, Putin needs to be stopped and we need to help the Ukrainian people as much as possible, all the free nations need to give them the support they need to defeat this monster, a WW3 is not the answer. Starve Putin out, punish him in any way we can!
Thanks for the review of your evening, Michael. I appreciate both your efforts!!! I recall when Mr. Belefonte performed at Purdue U. and there was some negative racial response. So long ago I can't recall exactly - - 1955 or so, but I followed up the next day and tried to find out what exactly had happened. I felt the injustice.
Great speech. Two exceptional human beings- thank you Mike, thank you Congresswoman Lee, and especially thank you Mr Belafonte. His career and his activism are an inspiration. He is the best of this country.
Thanks for that honor for Barbara Lee. YES! There are more of us than them. We have to stick together to win!
I was the in the audience at Town Hall last night and was so delighted with your introduction of Barbara Lee and the shout out to the film just having won the NAACP Image award. I am the filmmaker of Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power and it was beyond fantastic to hear your words, your enthusiasm for Barbara's work and integrity and your comments about the photo of Mr. B and Dr. King. I have been showing the photo to everyone I have seen today. Thank you for
all you do to keep the truth in the spotlight. We have a tough road ahead of us and I am glad to be walking alongside you and Barbara Lee, inspired by Mr. B!!!!! Abby Ginzberg (abbyginzberg@gmail.com)
Happy Birthday Mr. Belafonte!!! You were my first concert. My cousins took me to see you and Miriam Makeba at the Fischer Theatre sometime around 1962. What an incredible event! It started a lifelong love of live music for me. The concert was amazing and incredible and a young girl from a farm in Michigan could not believe her eyes and ears. Thank you!!
Thank you, Michael Moore for sharing your remarks with us and giving me a chance to think about something other than Ukrainians dying, even if just for a couple of moments. I’m a long time fan, showed Roger and Me to my sophomore class many years ago….And I think the most ingenious thing you ever did was taking the gentleman who was ill and been denied payment for a procedure that might have saved his life, you took the sick guy to the insurance company and asked one of the executives to help pick a coffin!! So outrageous! So macabre! and funny in that weird twisted way that usually gets through to people!!! Stay well, Michael Moore, Don’t eat too much crap!!!
Thank you, Michael. I am truly moved by this, and am so grateful for the work you do. What an honor it must have been to be on a stage with Mr. B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow! Harry makes the struggle Beautiful, and that makes it all worth it!
Dear Michael Moore,
Yours is a fascinating life, and sharing it second hand with you, with tickets, photos, and your speech honoring two American icons, is so exciting. It must have been a wonderful evening, and a thrilling contrast to Putin's ongoing slaughter in The Ukraine. 'Didn't It Rain' is one of my favorite Harry Belafonte songs, one that I play when my crushed soul needs the revitalization that rain brings, a song that is much needed right now. Barbara Lee is in a class by herself. She doesn't just take the high road, she built it. It would make sense to make the filming of Harry Belafonte's birthday celebration public, so that we can be continually inspired by two of our nation's most important citizens. Thank you, and with care, when it is impossible to ignore the peril that is reality for our sisters and brothers tonight on the human spectrum.
Outstanding as always, Michael ❤️❤️
Hi, Mike! I have to get in here before thousands of happy and grateful people beat me out. I’m glad for Harry Belafonte’s birthday, and I’m glad you were able to take part. Harry Belafonte, in addition to being a fine musician, has fought well for Black people’s right to respect and dignity.
The best way to do well during this current situation is to be as well informed as possible. Putin is wrong, but he’s not just a madman. The US and NATO have provoked and frightened him, and broken promises. If he had felt we wanted to know where he was coming from, we might have had peace today.
Mike, you speak to a vast number of people. You’re right that there are a lot of “us” and not so many of “them,” but we need good guidance now.
Carol F. Yost
Harry Belafonte is truly an American treasure. There was a time he was one of the few people who supported the SCLC with his words AND his money. Harry was born in the year Babe Ruth had his best year hitting 60 home runs. 1927 the Yankees were called "Murderer's Row" yet it took 20 years more to start integration of Major League baseball and our military soldiers. Harry Belafonte and Harry Truman had much in common. When Harry Truman signed the new integration policy for the military he just could not wait. When Harry Belafonte raised the most money for the "Jobs, Peace, and Freedom March" in 1983, (to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington), he just couldn't wait to move Coretta's ego aside as well as the egos of the selfish King children. Harry Belafonte told me personally that very soon Dr. King's birthday would be a National Holiday. Tell me where to send the pictures Michael. Two months later, on November 2, 1983, Ronald Reagan signed the date to honor Dr. King into law.
But the greatest thing I remember about Harry Belafonte was when he was leaving the stage. I yelled over to him, "Hey Harry we have been filming this for the Fellowship of Reconciliation all day long and it is hotter than hell up here." Not missing a beat, Harry yelled up to us, "How do you think Cecil B. Demille got started?" The legend Harry Belafonte promised to get us some water and in less than 20 minutes a whole case of really cold water was delivered to us. You know why he did that? Because Harry Belafonte believed we were as important to the March as were the people speaking on stage. I will never forget him for that act of kindness.
The magic of Harry Belafonte is that he has friends in low places. The miracle of love is not that we love you, Harry. The miracle of love is that you love us.
Sweet stories. Thanks for the reminder that there's more of us!
love this, Michael!!!
Oh my Dear God. I know in hindsight now, how wrong we were in getting into the war in Afghanistan and then Iraq! Congresswoman Lee what a brave and gracious human being you are. We always, as Americans are too quick to react. As she said, so eloquently said, “We need to step back and take a moment”, as we do at this very moment in time. Yes, Putin needs to be stopped and we need to help the Ukrainian people as much as possible, all the free nations need to give them the support they need to defeat this monster, a WW3 is not the answer. Starve Putin out, punish him in any way we can!
Great Job, Great show. Your fan, massimo
Thanks for the review of your evening, Michael. I appreciate both your efforts!!! I recall when Mr. Belefonte performed at Purdue U. and there was some negative racial response. So long ago I can't recall exactly - - 1955 or so, but I followed up the next day and tried to find out what exactly had happened. I felt the injustice.