Why Sidney Poitier Is the Most Important Actor in American History

This commentary on the life and legacy of Sidney Poitier was first published in the 2006 BAFTA/L.A. Cunard Britannia Awards, as part of the organization’s lifetime achievement award tribute to the trailblazing star, who died Jan. 6 at the age of 94. Is Sidney Poitier the most important actor in American history? One could quickly defend that question affirmatively simply with a newsreel of clips showing heroes like Martin Luther King Jr., from Birmingham to the March on Washington, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks; Olympians Tommy Smith and John Carlos with their fists in the 1968… Read Full Article