Ted: Hey! Welcome back to Babbel News – English Only. I’m Ted, your English language expert here at Babbel. As always, we’ve got another story for you today, sourced from Reuters. And the topic? We’re going to take a look at the life of actor, singer, songwriter, and activist Harry Belafonte, who recently died at the age of 96.

But, of course, before we hear the story, let’s go over some of the key words and phrases from the clip. Don’t forget that you can read along with the transcript while listening. You’ll find a link in the episode description. All ready? Then let’s begin.

To start us off, we have the word “trailblazing”, an adjective that describes someone who is the first to do something, and who sets an example for others to follow while doing it. Next is “congestive heart failure”, a medical condition in which a person’s heart can’t pump enough blood through the body. A bit later in the clip, you’ll hear the adjective “groundbreaking”, which describes something very new, or different from other things of its type. Directly after that comes the verb “to prevail”, or to exist or be very common in a particular place and time. Then you’ll hear the adjective “to provide the impetus for something”, or to encourage something to happen. Following that, there’s “an accolade”, which in this case means a special award. The final piece of vocabulary from this clip is “humanitarian work”, or work that improves the conditions of people who are suffering. Don’t forget, if you hear any other words you don’t know, look them up in a dictionary after listening. But for now, let’s hear the story!

Reuters: "What is my aim? Justice.”

Trailblazing singer, actor, and political activist Harry Belafonte has died. According to a statement released by his longtime spokesperson, congestive heart failure was the cause. He was at his home in New York with his wife by his side.

First as a Black leading man who explored racial themes in 1950s movies, Belafonte later moved on to working with his friend Martin Luther King, Jr. during the U.S. civil rights movement in the early 1960s.

He was born in Manhattan but spent his early childhood in his family's native Jamaica. During World War Two, Belafonte joined the Navy after dropping out of high school.

Early in his career, the handsome and suave Belafonte became known as the "King of Calypso." He was the first Black person to perform in many plush nightspots and also had groundbreaking roles in movies at a time when segregation prevailed in much of the United States. As a recording artist, Belafonte's third album, Calypso, became the first by a single performer to sell more than one million copies.

In the 1980s, he worked to end apartheid in South Africa and coordinated Nelson Mandela's first visit to the United States. He also provided the impetus for "We Are the World," the 1985 all-star musical collaboration that raised the money for famine relief in Ethiopia.

Among his many accolades, he was the first Black performer to win a major Emmy in 1960. He also won Grammys, and in 2014 he received an Academy Award for his humanitarian work. Belafonte was 96 years old.

Ted: Well, listeners, that’s all for today’s episode. If you didn’t catch everything the first time around, feel free to go back and listen again. Reading along with the transcript can also be a big help. Give it a try if you haven’t yet! You’ll find the link in the episode description. This is also our last episode of this season, and we’d love to hear what you think of the show. We’ve prepared a short survey for you, so you can share your feedback with us and help us to make the language learning podcast that’s perfect for you. We hope you’ve enjoyed this podcast and found it to be a useful learning tool. Thanks again for listening. This is Ted with Babbel News – English Only, signing off.