Harry Belafonte, Former East Elmhurst Local, Mourned By Residents

QUEENS — Residents fighting to preserve the history of East Elmhurst, a neighborhood once considered a safe haven for Black Americans in New York, are mourning the death of former local, singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte.

Belafonte passed away in his New York City home on Tuesday, reported AP News and the New York Times, due to congestive heart failure.

The Harlem-born "King of Calypso" catapulted to stardom in the 195os after the release of hits including "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" and "Jamaica Farewell."

Belafonte moved to East Elmhurst, which was considered the "Black Beverly Hills" for decades, in the 1950s with his wife Marguerite. Belafonte mentioned in an interview that he settled in East Elmhurst to avoid the bustle of areas like Harlem and to raise his children among a quieter scenery.

Both the Corona East Elmhurst Historic Preservation Society and Greater Astoria Historical Society have been keeping tabs with the city to preserve historical spaces, including households, where prominent Black figures lived or developed their careers between the 1940s and the 1960s.

"The East Elmhurst community is very saddened by the loss," Evelyn Seabrook, co-founder of the Corona East Elmhurst Historic Preservation Society, told Patch, "While he was away on his acting assignments, he may not have been seen quite as often in the neighborhood, but he was certainly a presence when he returned home."

"We do feel a loss, but, on the other hand, we will always have something that he gave us, and that's his memory and the pleasure of listening to his music," Bob Singleton, executive director of the Greater Astoria Historical Society, told Patch.

Belafonte contributed to popularizing the Caribbean musical style Calypso, which originated in Trinidad & Tobago. He lived at 96-16 25th Avenue in East Elmhurst, according to the Corona East Elmhurst Historic Preservation Society.

This is the same group that fought for jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's home to be considered a landmark by the city.