Harewood was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Emerson Macaulay (1915-1980) and Estelle Olivia Harewood (1924-1991). He has five siblings, Emerson M. Harewood, Jr. (deceased), Theolanda Harewood (deceased), Philip B. Harewood (deceased), Floranne E. Dunford and Lawanda G. Pitts. He graduated from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati in 1971.
Harewood first attracted attention for his portrayal of Simon Haley (father of author Alex Haley) in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. He is known for his roles in Full Metal Jacket, for starring as Jesse Owens in The Jesse Owens Story, and for his co-starring role in the ABC Television series Strike Force (starring Robert Stack). In 1994, he was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, Mini-Series or Television Movie, for his recurring role as jazz/blues Saxophonist Clarence "Cool Papa" Charleston on the NBC drama series I'll Fly Away. In 2012, he is an announcer for NBC. He also played Dr. Julian Wilkes in the NBC (later syndicated) TV series Viper.
