Witness: Black History Collection

Harry Belafonte, the singer and actor who smashed racial barriers in the US, has died at home in Manhattan, aged 96. In 1968, he sang a duet with Petula Clark for an NBC special for NBC. During the performance, Petula touched Harry's forearm and made TV history, as it was the first time a white woman had touched a black man on US television. The sponsor insisted the touch be cut from the programme; the programme makers refused. Louise Hidalgo spoke to the producer of the programme, Steve Binder. (Photo: Harry Belafonte. Credit: Alan Meek/Express/Getty Images)