This Black History Month, ET is celebrating the stars who took a stand. From speaking out during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s to calling for racial equality and justice over the summer of 2020 and beyond, these Black celebrities used their platforms to amplify important issues.
Late stars like Billie Holiday and Muhammad Ali stuck to their convictions, drawing national attention to causes like racial oppression and the Vietnam War, respectively. Beyoncé and LeBron James, meanwhile, have used their star power to fight for justice in the names of Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake and more.
See how more Black celebs have used their platforms for activism below.
The Greatest was forced to take a four-year break from boxing for his position as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, but he didn’t give in. The champion boxer, who died in 2016 at age 74, fought back until his conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1971. He lost his prime years in the sport, but gained respect and admiration for standing up for what he believed in, and is credited with inspiring countless Black Americans in the civil rights era.
Holiday died in 1959 at just 44 years old, but among her achievements, she’s remembered for her contribution to the civil rights movement. Her rendition of the song “Strange Fruit” — a song based on a poem about lynching — in the late 1930s drew public attention to racial oppression and injustice. When her label, Columbia Records, refused to record and distribute the song, she recorded it with Commodore Records. It became the great civil rights protest song, propelling the movement.
The performer, who died in 1990 at age 64, helped break racial barriers in the segregated entertainment industry, from Las Vegas to Broadway. Like other Black entertainers, Davis used his success — and earnings — to support the civil rights movement. The multi-hyphenate’s 1960 marriage to a white woman, Swedish-born actress May Britt, at a time when interracial marriages were illegal in the majority of U.S. states allegedly led to John F. Kennedy rescinding his invitation to perform at his inauguration. A few years later, he received hate mail when starring in the Broadway musical adaptation of Golden Boy — for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor. Davis’ continued success in the industry made strides for representation, and among other achievements, he’s a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors.
Dee is as prominent an activist as she is an actress. The Oscar-nominated performer, who died in 2014 at 91, was a well-known member of the civil rights movement, and close friends of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Dee was a member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the NAACP, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and emceed the March on Washington in 1963. Dee continued her activism in the later part of her life with her husband, actor Ossie Davis, who died in 2005. That year, they were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Freedom Award by the National Civil Rights Museum.
The 93-year-old musician and recipient of a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award has been an advocate for political and humanitarian causes throughout his life. Belafonte was heavily involved in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 60s, and a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. He is said to have financially supported King’s family throughout the course of their friendship, bailed him out of Birmingham City Jail during the 1963 Birmingham Campaign, financed the 1961 Freedom Rides and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington.
The 39-year-old artist has continuously used her platform to stand up for causes she believes in. She’s promoted feminism in many ways, including sampling Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s speech in her song “Flawless,” supported the rights of LGBTQ+ community with powerful statements and taken an impactful stance against police brutality and injustice. Beyonce, who included the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner in the video for her song “Freedom,” has also recently made headlines for her dedication to justice for Breonna Taylor, after she wrote a letter to the Kentucky Attorney General.
