Film of singer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte "Sing Your Song" is in UK cinemas now.
To promote the film he was interviewed by Sarfraz Manzoor of the Guardian. In the interview he talks about his life and work in music, cinema and fighting for social equality - as chronicled in a new memoir. He also discusses his friendship with Martin Luther King, his relationship with President John F Kennedy, and the humiliation that led him to become more heavily involved in the fight against racial segregation.
In the video and also in his memoir he criticises Barack Obama. In USA Today he says: "I don't mind that Barack Obama needs to have America know that he's president of all the people; but that doesn't mean that you can't speak about black people, or speak about being black. It doesn't mean that you can't speak about special dispensation for the poor. He hasn't used his bully pulpit."
Video: "Faced with Oppression, I Had to Act
The film: "Sing Your Song"