Common Honored With Harry Belafonte Social Justice Award At 2022 Tribeca Film Festival
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“As an artist, Common continues to entertain us, and as an activist, he continues to lead in so many areas. Common — despite his modest name — has achieved great feats.”
These were the words uttered by the legendary actor Robert De Niro and heard by Common, and others in attendance at the Tribeca Film Festival as he presented the rapper with the second annual Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award on Wednesday (June 15). Named after the iconic entertainer, actor, and civil rights leader, Tribeca’s official website states that the Harry Belafonte Social Justice Award “recognizes individuals who have used storytelling and the arts to enact change in their communities.”
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“Tonight I received the Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award and was presented to me by one of the greatest of all time: Robert De Niro,” the Chicago native captioned his celebratory Instagram post. “Thank you, @tribeca for all the love. #tribeca2022.”
Celebrating his accomplishments as an activist, a tribute page on the rapper stated he is “breaking down barriers with a multitude of critically acclaimed, diverse roles, and continued success in all aspects of his career.”
The award also recognizes the Hip-Hop legend for “dedicating countless hours” and continuing to be “deeply engaged in social justice and advocacy work around mass incarceration, mental health, and voting,” while “empowering high school students from underserved communities to become future leaders” through his non-profit organizations Common Ground Foundation and Imagine Justice.
During the celebration, the Chicago native revealed that it was Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, who inspired him to become an activist and “fulfill something in my life that I had to do.”
“I spoke to Michelle Alexander, who wrote the New Jim Crow,” he elucidated. “And it clicked – it was one of those things I needed to be doing. If I’m willing to rap and die for the people. I must be there for them.”
“My Mom was a teacher. She showed me activism without showing it to me. She would bring kids over after school and made sure they were part of certain programs. And that was just natural. But that was activism.” @common on how he was raised. #Tribeca2022 #HarryBelafonteAward
— Tribeca (@Tribeca) June 16, 2022
“How do you make the time for activism?” @CharlesMBlow
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“Well you’ve heard people say Common can’t keep a girlfriend?… No, the truth of the matter is I had made a conscious decision that I was fulfilling something in my life I had to do." #Tribeca2022 #HarryBelafonteAward pic.twitter.com/Wd4cGKDLkg— Tribeca (@Tribeca) June 16, 2022
