Beyonce Responds To Harry Belafonte With “Abbreviated List” Of “Unselfish Work”

August 13th, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

 

Source: Iambeyonce.com

A lot of you were feeling Harry Belafonte’s remark last week that Beyonce and Jay-Z have turned their back on social responsibility. Though many of you argued that Jayonce don’t have any obligation to give back to the community, most agreed that social activists they are not.

One person who obviously doesn’t agree with this claim is Beyonce herself—or her people. Today Bey’s rep sent an email to the Wall Street Journal, which was said to be “An abbreviated list of the unselfish work Beyoncé has done and continues to do.” According to WSJ:

The list included co-founding The Survivor Foundation “a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston”; donating “100K in 2008 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund to aid Texas victims of Hurricane Ike”; performing in “MTV’s Hope For Haiti Now! Benefit in addition to making a generous monetary donation,” among many other charitable activities.

Though those efforts are certainly worthy causes, I don’t get the feeling that this was the type of social responsibility Mr. Belafonte was speaking of. As a man who has taken a stand against racism, sexism, and war, I imagine his reaction might be that anyone can throw money at an issue, the question is what do you stand for? On the other hand, no one can dictate where you donate your money or time and to what causes. The important thing is the entertainment legend’s comments at least made one half of Hollywood’s highest paid couple sit up and pay attention. I wonder what Jay’s camp has to say about all this?

Do you think the statement from Bey’s camp clears her name a bit?

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  • kris

    100k 4 years ago. Wow B, you should’ve just kept your mouth shut because that is embarrassing. smh and why is she speaking at world humanitarian day again?

  • http://www.facebook.com/PurpleMazyHaze Maryam Peculiar Person

    Anyone with money like beyonce and jayz can give 100K without blinking twice. Instead of giving money to a 5013C, which are most foundations, why not give to the people directly. When you donate to a 5013C, much of that donation is going towards administration…. and not directly to the people you intend to help….. But Beyonce and Jayz both know this, as do all celebrities….. It’s my personal belief…. that they really don’t want to help people. But that’s they’re choice.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=560819298 Sarita Alexander

    If you have to reach back to 2008 to find something you did, you just proved him right. co-founding a program is great. making sure you support it EVERY year, and expanding it is another. I don’t even make what you pay in taxes and yet I donate – money, time and effort. It’s not about doing something because you have to – it’s doing what’s right when you DON’T have to and aren’t looking for applause.

    • Erin

      Preach it!

  • http://www.facebook.com/tchanielle Tiffany Williams

    Jay and Bey are Philanthropists. With Bey being 30 years old it is possible that she has not yet matured to the level of having social responsibility. While I think the causes she chooses to donate her money to are okay (hum drum), the impact of her voice has not been displayed on so many issues affecting our world and country. However, it is possible that with her lack of higher education she has not had the opportunity to awaken to, analyze and critic philosophical and societal practices and norms. I totally agree with Harry Belafonte, who may have become offended at the fact that Bey can stand on the stage at the UN without having put in the time and commitment of fighting for the very issues often discussed on that platform. He’s an original trailblazer and quite frankly he has the right to check her and Jay. I’m glad she’s listening but her and her team need to work on comprehending. Get some college graduates on your team BEY!!

  • Anon

    I personally feel that Bey shouldn’t have responded at all. Thats demeaning to list the positive things you’ve done. Some people like to keep to themselves what they do. Beyonce and Jay are always bashed for being attention whoring, uncaring, and staged so why bring negativity to the positive things they do from folks that will say “oh well they only did that for attention, not to help anyone for real” or “oh they did this but could really do so much more”. It’s silly to me. Jay has his own foundation that his mother runs and Beyonce helped out with the First Lady’s “Move Your Body” campaign which focuses on teaching children healthy eating habits and she just did the United Nations Humanitarian thing with her “I was here” campaign. Those things weren’t mentioned in the excerpt so I’m assuming they didn’t run down a whole detailed list of what she does. I’m in agreement with the phrase “to whom much is given, much is required” but people aren’t required to say everything they’ve done, its called having tact and being humble.

  • mscpa2u

    As a White collar worker I am fully aware and exposed to shady business. You make valid point no one said I was worried about Beyonce nor Jay z but when I see a black history performance where bey and Jay walk out before the Obamas and the kings it’s obvious that they are being exposed at a early age not to the pharamacutical institution nor politics nut music. I’m talking about the images so many children follow I will never have the popularity of either and I do try and teach young girls their self worth! But all these points you prove nothing is more evident that the kids I see imitating art all these tattoo up lol Wayne air head barbies I could go on for days. It starts at home as a mother of a son we talk about real issues and I also censor him to the negativity of our music culture. I have a sister who applied to work at the Barclays center and was denied. Please let’s not make a former drug dealer the saviour of Brooklyn. As a resident of NYC who saw the Barclaus center being built surronded by poverty yet still employment is being out source. Let’s see the ticket sales first. I’m worried about healthcare, student loans, the economy, the state of our current politicians, social security and if I’ll be compensated when my times comes. Highly doubt there will be able to pay me as my annual social security letter states. But that is not what this article is about! It’s about accountability and how no one is immune to being accountable for the images they put forth!

  • Ola

    It is easy to throw money at something, it is something else to be the face of a cause. I know Denzel’s cause is the boys and girls club, I know Bono is trying to save everyone in Africa, I know Alicia is all about save the music and more efforts. I honestly can’t think of a cause that Beyonce or Jay Z stand for.

  • niya

    well, if they bought me a minivan I would call it even lol :)

  • ChrissyA

    A lof of you guys on the opposing side are forgetting the era in which Mr. Belafonte came. He’s from the old school, in the days when entertainers were the leaders of the civil rights movement, they made major changes in society. If it weren’t for their time and monetary contributions we wold still be riding on the back of buses and drinking out of separate water fountains. What he is trying to do is past the baton to people he knows can help make a major positive movement within the younger generation. YES we as the average people can do things to help make better our communities but “they” who have more can do do even more and go even further to inspire entire nations of people. I believe he singled them out because of the positive impact they already have in their craft why not channel that positivity into something that will help to give less fortunate an opportunity to get a chance at having a better life. It take a village and sometime the popular people in that village in help other villages as well. It’s time for our generation to step up to the plate and continue building on the strong foundation that was given to us.

    • Erin

      Amen! couldn’t have said it any better. It’s not about giving hand-outs or free things to people in these communities but providing the means necessary for our people to succeed, give hope. Be something positive like you stated because they sadly have no problem shelling out negative stereotypes and images to the young who are making them money. People forget that they didn’t get anywhere by themselves, even if they like to think that because how would entertainers be relevant without those to entertain for? They make their money from “us” so why shouldn’t they have a social responsibility to be positive images of our community, they came from them.

  • delrioprincess

    Beyonce is not the sharpest knife in the drawer! After all she wrote First Lady Obama a handwritten letter and used the letter ‘u’ for the word you. I’m not really interested in anything that she has to say. An intellectual she is absolutely not!

  • KiKI

    Last time I checked Beyonce and Jay z was not on my birth certificate listed as parents. Cmon… I know we want a hero for the black community but the hero is yourself…. So many time we point the finger and say when is Oprah and etc… going to help. How about when am I going to help. What outreach program can I start or volunteer at? If we were such good role models we wouldn’t need to look up to celebs to lead the way. How do we even know what is on their agenda. What is Beyonce going to teach young women….How to marry a rapper ??? They don’t live “perfect” lives to be role models.

    • Just saying!!

      I understand what you’re saying, but to whom much is given, much is required. What is the point of encouraging black people to be leaders and be courageous if they’re just going to forget everyone else when they get where they need to be?? Furthermore, why are we encouraging/supporting black people who get to the top by EXPLOITING their own? Yes…we def need some ownership here!!

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