A Man of Dignity

By Max Jefferson

Sidney Poitier, the trailblazing black male actor who transformed mainstream racial culture forever, passed away on January 6, 2022. His story is one of a true underdog. Born of Bahamian farmers in Miami, Florida, on February 20, 1927, Poitier wasn't even expected to survive after being born three months premature. In dodging certain death as a newborn, Poitier set into motion his chosen purpose as a dignified presence in a world that was largely hostile towards black empowerment and success.

Long before his iconic acting roles in films like Lilies of the Field, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, and In the Heat of the Night, Poitier struggled to make ends meet in Jim Crow America after moving back to his country of birth at the age of 15. The vicious racism that he experienced in the United States was a culture shock for the young Bahamian teenager. Moving back to New York City, after obtaining a discharge from the U.S. Army following an unpleasant stint serving at a Veteran's hospital in Long Island, New York, coincided with Poitier's rising acting aspirations. Adversity struck once more when he was turned away from the American Negro Theater because of his thick West Indian accent and speech mishaps. This reflected his general lack of basic education up to that point in his life. A determined Poitier powered through unfulfilling work, most notably as a dishwasher. However, during this grim period of Poitier's life, to his surprise he realized that he had allies who were willing to offer some help and guidance. One of which was an elderly Jewish man who committed himself to helping Poitier overcome his educational shortcomings with literacy. Such instances of random care and guidance for a struggling youth instilled profound depths of humility within Poitier.

Once Poitier hit his stride as a pure acting talent, and finally received the recognition that he desired through many years of hardship, he committed his career to only accepting roles that respected his view of himself as a dignified black man. Poitier understood the sacrifices that would have to be made as a result, but these sacrifices ultimately paid dividends in the 1950s with breakout films like Blackboard Jungle and The Defiant Ones. 1958's The Defiant Ones established Poitier as a movie star, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, the first for any Black male. What followed was a decade of personal accolades and international notoriety for Poitier. But he did it his way. There's probably no better example of this than 1967's In the Heat of the Night. His role in the film as a Black police detective from Philadelphia who becomes involved in a murder investigation in a small Mississippi town probably best showcased Poitier's commitment to the projection of the dignified black man on the big screen, and ultimately in mainstream American culture. The iconic scene in which Poitier's character, Virgil Tibbs, retaliates after being slapped by a racist white plantation owner epitomizes the enraged heart of a Black America that was responding to the long legacy of racial marginalization and bigotry during the 1960s. Poitier was a sort of spokesperson for not just Black Americans, but also for the larger Black Diaspora. The American film industry underwent a unique evolution during this time. An industry where blackness had long been all but neglected and vilified, dating back to highly controversial films like 1915's Birth of A Nation. Poitier personally insisted on inserting the Tibbs retaliation into the film, both reflecting cinema's racial revolution of the 1960s, as well as the sense of responsibility Poitier felt that he owed to Blacks across the globe. In 1964, Poitier had become the first black person to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1963 film Lilies of the Field. It would prove to be a precursor for several more achievements throughout the prominent actor's long career as not only an actor, but also as a film director, and eventually the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan. In 2009, Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Looking back on his life, one can't deny that Poitier was made of the "right stuff". Whether it be surviving premature birth, overcoming racism and illiteracy, or transforming the perception of blackness within the American film industry. He did it all with unwavering dignity, class, and pride. A man of so much dignity should be admired and will most certainly never be forgotten.