Belafonte and the Undertow

I have started to read “The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War” by Jeff Sharlet:

The book opens with a touching and detailed portrait of Harry Belafonte, who I will admit I have not known a lot about previously. Belafonte was a good friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and pivotal to the work of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. He was also an incredible force in Hollywood and American culture.

There is a 2011 documentary of Belafonte‘s life, “Sing Your Song,” which is available via YouTube and the Amazon streaming platform.

I learned about the book “The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War” back in November 2023, when I listened to a podcast interview with the author.

I’m interested in this topic and in researching these themes further for multiple reasons. One is my ongoing media literacy inquiry project, “Conspiracies and Culture Wars.”

The other is my participation in the “Confronting Whiteness” course, curriculum and movement. I am hoping to facilitate a cohort of the class this fall. I became a certified facilitator this past spring. More to follow.

To invent a kinder, more humane, and better future together, we must constantly strive to better understand our past. I aspire to be a culture healer. There is so much to learn.