After Criticizing Bush, Harry Belafonte is Disinvited from the Coretta Scott King Funeral

As we continue to mark the third anniversary of the Iraq invasion we turn now to look at how critics of the war have often been silenced and punished for speaking out against the invasion and occupation of Iraq as well as the Bush administration.

On Saturday, Democracy Now interviewed legendary singer, actor and humanitarian, Harry Belafonte at The Great Hall at Cooper Union.

He revealed the story behind why he was disinvited from the funeral of Coretta Scott King even though he was a close friend of both Coretta and her late husband, the Rev. Martin Luther King.

According to Belafonte, the King family originally invited him to help eulogize Coretta Scott King but the family rescinded the invitation after President Bush announced he would attend the funeral.

Just weeks earlier Belafonte had made international headlines when he spoke out against President Bush during a trip to Venezuela to meet with President Hugo Chavez.

In a moment we will hear Harry Belafonte discuss the controversy surround Coretta Scott King's funeral but we begin with Harry Belafonte talking about how artists are punished for speaking out.

* Harry Belafonte, speaking at The Great Hall at Cooper Union, March 18, 2006.

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