The first Black actor to win an Academy Award, Poitier was beloved for playing leading men who were wise souls and love interests. As he starred in many films including To Sir With Love, A Raisin In The Sun, In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Defiant Ones and Porgy and Bess, he paved the way for Black actors to follow in his footsteps. In 2009, when presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor to Poitier, President Obama said, “It’s been said that Sidney Poitier does not make movies, he makes milestones…Poitier not only entertained, but enlightened, shifting attitudes, broadening hearts, revealing the power of the silver screen to bring us closer together.” Poitier who also served as Bahamian Ambassador to Japan is survived by wife Joanna Shimkus Poitier, six daughters, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In 1964, when Poitier won the Oscar for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field he said, “It is a long journey to this moment.” Born on February 20, 1927 to Bahamian tomato farmers, Poitier was born prematurely while his parents were visiting from their native Bahamas. He became a major star and box office draw when America was deeply rooted in the Civil Rights Era. As he once said, “I never had an occasion to question color, therefore, I only saw myself as what I was… a human being.” In memory of the groundbreaking actor’s amazing life, here are 20 of Sidney Poitier’s best quotes on life, acting and how he wants to be remembered: —“If I’m remembered for having done a few good things, and if my presence here has sparked some good energies, that’s plenty.” —“I am the me I choose to be.” —“It is a long journey to this moment,” —“So it’s been kind of a long road, but it was a good journey.” —“In my case, the body of work stands for itself…I think my work has been representative of me as a man.” —“To be compared to Jackie Robinson is an enormous compliment, but I don’t think it’s necessarily deserved.” —“Mine was an easy ride compared to Jackie Robinson’s.” —“I wouldn’t change a single thing, because one change alters every moment that follows it.” —“The journey has been incredible from the beginning.” —“A person doesn’t have to change who he is to become better.” —“I’ve learned that I must find positive outlets for anger or it will destroy me.” —“So much of life, it seems, is determined by pure randomness.” —“Acting isn’t a game of “pretend.” It’s an exercise in being real.” —“History passes the final judgment.” —“I always wanted to be someone better the next day than I was the day before.” —“So I’m OK with myself, with history, my work, who I am and who I was.” —“I never had an occasion to question color, therefore, I only saw myself as what I was…a human being.” —“We all suffer from the preoccupation that there exists…in the loved one, perfection.” —“My mother was an amazing person. She taught me to be kind to other women. She believed in family. She was with my father from the first day they met. All that I am, she taught me.” —“As I’ve mentioned, a large part of my father’s legacy is the lesson he taught his sons. He brought us together and said, ‘The measure of a man is how well he provides for his children.’” Next, Why We Grieve Celebrities—and Why That’s Good for Our Health
