Sidney Poitier, Who Blazed Trail For Black U.S. Actors, Passes Away At 94

Just one week into 2022, another titan of cinema has fallen. On Thursday, January 6, Sidney Poitier—the first Black man to ever win the Oscar for best actor—died at 94. The timing of Poitier’s loss poetically and painfully echoes that of another Black icon of cinema, Cicely Tyson, who died in January of last year, Chris Murphy wrote for Vanity Fair.

Photo Insert: Sidney Poitier is hugged by Barrack Obama, who was US President at the time, upon receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Like Tyson, Poitier projected superhuman levels of grace both on and off camera. They both became civil rights activists, not necessarily by choice but because their era demanded it, and used their influence as movie stars to advocate for tangible change for Black people across the nation.

Both Tyson and Poitier were synonymous with Black excellence—a testament not only to all that we could achieve but all that we could do for others in the process.

In the ’50s and ’60s, Poitier knew that as Hollywood’s sole Black leading man, everyone was constantly watching him—looking for him to set an example. Poitier was “the only one,” he has been quoted as saying.

“I felt very much as if I were representing 15, 18 million people with every move I made,” he once wrote. While this responsibility may sound crushing, Poitier rose to the occasion, imbuing all of his roles with a dignity that stretched beyond whatever character he happened to be playing, whether doctor or prisoner.

And while he’ll certainly be remembered for his poise, it would be a shame to forget what a versatile, nuanced, and engaging actor Poitier was as well.

"To Sir, With Love,” “In the Heat of the Night,” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”—three vastly different movies—were all released in 1967, making him Hollywood’s top box-office star at the time.

In the first, Poitier played Mark Thackeray, an immigrant to Britain and unwitting high school teacher tasked with getting a classroom of unruly students on his side. With Mark, Poitier utilized his soft charm, his stoic patience, and his commanding presence to effectively create the “inspiring teacher” archetype that films like Dead Poets Society and Mona Lisa Smile have been emulating ever since.

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