Born in New York.

From here:

"He was born in New York in 1927; of West Indian extraction (father from Jamaica, mother from Martinique). Things were not easy at home. The family was poor, and his father was often absent and ultimately, abandoned them. At the age of nine, his mother packed him off to Jamaica, where he remained for several years. In his teens, he returned to New York. "

and

"Meanwhile, he remained politically active, working as cultural adviser to the Peace Corps (under Kennedy), taking part in the march on Washington, chairing the New York State Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, founding the Institute for Non-Violence. In later years he would be named to the Board of Directors of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference(!), and appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador hosting the United Nations World Summit for Children. When Nelson Mandela visited the U.S., Belafonte played host.

...

In the 80's he was one of the chief instigators in the "We Are the World" charity recording."