Shameless name dropping. Harry Belafonte.

[Atman]

Last edited Thu Feb 11, 2016, 12:11 PM - Edit history (1)

My parents were friends with Mr. Belafonte. I was too young to know or care, but he was a guest at our house several times. My dad was partner in some development in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. I'm assuming Harry was, too. The only thing I remember is that it was very unusual to have black people as guests in the early sixties. We were actually told not to talk about it too much when we went to school.

That's the "Make America Great Again" to which the Trumpsters want to return.

[malaise]

1. LOL

Nice story

[LiberalArkie]

2. Great, I do also remember those days. I had a problem in that I never could wrap my brain

around racism as a kid. I was called the "Nig%^ lover" so many times, but I did not have a problem with being called that except that they were just friends. Being 68 now, I still can't wrap my head around the concept of racism and sexism. I am just weird I guess.

[Atman]

5. Larry Garron, Boston Patriots fullback, also lived on our street.

I still have the football he gave us.

My dad a had sticker on his car, a black hand and a white hand intertwined over an American flag. This was 1966. More than once we got accosted by people who screamed "nigger lover" at my dad. Weird. America seems to be going backward. Make America Great Again. Racist dog whistle.

[DetlefK]

3. You dropped the "a" from your namedrop. It's Harry Belafonte.

[Atman]

4. I told you, I was just a kid!

I never asked him to spell his name. I'll fix it! Thanks.

[flor-de-jasmim]

6. Watch "Guess who's coming to dinner" - Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy, K. Hepburn, Ann-Margaret

[Atman]

7. Their other biz partner was in one of the James Bond movies.

What was the one that took place in Jamaica? Keith Foote. He did a couple of other low-rent movies. He was married to a beautiful white woman, which was even more shocking in the early sixties.

My wife and I traveled to Jamaica several years ago, and we asked about him. It was very weird...everyone knew where he was. Even the concierge at our hotel..."Oh, Mistah Foote, he be in Kingston today!" Even our bus driver knew where he was. I suddenly realized maybe I don't want to know where be Mistah Foote. Dad is dead, so many questions left unanswered.