February 2, 1995: Vol26n15: UB's 19th Martin Luther King Commenmoration

UB's 19th Martin Luther King Commemoration
World-renowned recording artist, artist, humanitarian and civil rights
activist Harry Belafonte will present the keynote address as part of
UB's 19th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration.
	A close friend, confidant and advisor to the late Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., Belafonte has been called "the consummate
entertainer," an artist in every field in which he has participated --
whether as a recording artist, a concert performer, in film, on
Broadway, or as a television star and producer.
	Belafonte will speak at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23 in the Center
for the Arts Mainstage on UB's North Campus. Tickets are required,
although admission is free, and may be obtained by calling 645-6147.
	His activity in the human rights struggle is as highly
respected as his artistic talents. Belafonte has dedicated his life to
uniting people for causes often considered controversial. He has been
active in the civil rights struggle, uniting the cultural elements
behind the marches in Selma and Montgomery, Ala., as well as the
Freedom March in Washington, D.C., in 1963.
	He has been honored by such diverse groups as the American
Jewish Congress, the NAACP, the Committee for United Negro Relief, the
City of Hope, Fight for Sight, the Albert Einstein Award from Yeshiva,
the Boy Scouts of America and the Peace Corps.
   In 1981, Belafonte received the Dag Hammarskjold Peace Medal in
Belgium, and in 1982 received the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize.
	He has opened new cultural exchanges with emerging African
nations and through the Belafonte Foundation, has aided many African
students seeking an education in the U.S. 
	In September 1990, in his role as Goodwill Ambassador,
Belafonte acted as host for the World Summit on the Child, held at the
United Nations where heads of state from all over the world assembled
to discuss the future of the world's children.
	His upcoming projects include producing a television
mini-series based on the lives of Nelson and Winnie Mandela.
	Belafonte holds an honorary doctorate of humane letters from
Park College in Missouri and a doctorate in the arts from The New
School for Social Research, where he once was a student. In 1987 he
received an honorary doctor of music degree from Morehouse College in
Atlanta and an honorary doctor of fine arts degree from SUNY
Purchase. He also holds honorary degrees from City University of New
York, Spell-man College, Tufts University and Brandeis University.
	His lecture is co-sponsored by the James Fenton Lecture
Foundation and the Office of the President.