Throughout the 96 years of his remarkable life, the singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte (1927–2023) broke countless barriers. Belafonte was the first solo artist to sell over a million records with his widely acclaimed album Calypso (1956). He experienced two robust periods in Hollywood: first with studio pictures like Carmen Jones (1954) and The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959); and again, in the 1970s, when he notably teamed with longtime friend Sidney Poitier to support his debut directorial effort with Buck and the Preacher (1972) and its smash-hit follow-up, Uptown Saturday Night (1974). Citing Hollywood’s disinterest in socially conscious filmmaking as the reason behind his decade-long hiatus, Belafonte spent his time away from the silver screen investing in his lifelong passion for civil rights, befriending Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and participating in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. To honor his life and legacy, the Academy Museum presents a screening of Buck and the Preacher, which features Belafonte’s fascinating character turn as the deceptive Preacher opposite Poitier’s forthright Buck for the duo’s first-ever onscreen collaboration.
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Spotlights Remembering: Harry Belafonte: Buck and The Preacher
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Upcoming Events
Calle Principal: Mi México en Los Ángeles
This interactive and educational permanent exhibition invites families to explore the sights, sounds and smells of downtown Los Angeles during the 1920s. Calle Principal is an immersive recreation of Main Street, the one-time heart of Los Angeles’s Mexican, Mexican-American, and immigrant communities—and the street where LA Plaza sits on today.
La Plaza de Cultura y Artes: Community Hub
To kick off PST ART Community Hub activities at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, our community partners will come together at LA Plaza to commemorate Fiestas Patrias Family Day. Fiestas Patrias is among the most significant celebrations in Mexican and Mexican American culture, providing families with an occasion to reaffirm their heritage and identity. A calendar with the specific dates for all the activities will be included in the PST ART Community Hub landing page on lapca.org.
Echo Park Farmers’ Market
The Echo Park Farmers’ Market has grown steadily to become one of the most popular and well-attended of SEE-LA’s certified markets. Every Friday, 15 local farmers set up their tables and offer up a wide variety of produce and value-added products like jams and jellies, honey, and fresh farm-grown flowers. Community and family events are held regularly – and live music helps make this late afternoon and evening market a must-do for the neighborhood.
First Friday Food Truck Fest
Join us on Abbot Kinney Boulevard for a fun and festive night in Venice. Chances are you will find whatever food you are craving, along with special merchant events.
JAZZ AT LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART
Join in for evenings of live music, picnicking, and community on the LACMA grounds. Jazz at LACMA is a celebration of LA’s finest jazz musicians. Concerts are broadcast on KJAZZ (88.1 FM) every Sunday evening from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. and include interviews with featured performers.