President Biden on Friday paid tribute to Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier after news of his death, recognizing him as a trailblazer who “changed the way America saw itself.”
“With unflinching grandeur and poise — his singular warmth, depth, and stature on-screen — Sidney helped open the hearts of millions and changed the way America saw itself,” Biden said in a statement.
“The son of tomato farmers in the Bahamas, Sidney became the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor — but the trail he blazed extended leaps and bounds beyond his background or profession. He blazed a path for our Nation to follow, and a legacy that touches every part of our society today,” Biden continued.
News of Poitier’s death broke on Friday. He was Hollywood’s first African American film star and became the first Black man to win an Oscar for best actor in 1963 for his role in the film “Lilies of the Field.” Poitier’s films often explored racial attitudes in America and he is widely credited with helping pave the way for Black film stars.
Tributes to Poitier from prominent figures poured in on Friday. Former President Obama, who awarded Poitier the prestigious Medal of Freedom in 2009, tweeted that with “his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together.”
Poitier died in the Bahamas on Thursday, according to acting director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Bahamas Eugene Torchon-Newry, who confirmed his death to various news outlets.