To sir, with love: Entertainers and activists pay tribute to Sidney Poitier

Actor Sidney Poitier stars successful "Buck and the Preacher," a movie that helium besides directed successful 1972.

Poitier appears with Glenn Ford successful a country from the movie "Blackboard Jungle" successful 1955. It was Poitier's breakthrough role, 5 years aft helium made his movie debut successful "No Way Out." Poitier was calved successful Miami successful 1927, but helium spent overmuch of his puerility successful the Bahamas. A dense Bahamian accent and constricted speechmaking quality erstwhile outgo him an acting occupation astatine Harlem's American Negro Theater, but helium worked connected his accent by imitating vigor announcers and helium improved his speechmaking skills by studying newspapers.

Poitier and Tony Curtis are chained unneurotic successful 1958's "The Defiant Ones." Both men were nominated for the Academy Award for champion actor. It was the archetypal clip a Black antheral had been nominated for the award.

Poitier and his archetypal wife, Juanita, unbend astatine their location successful New York successful 1959. They had 4 daughters earlier divorcing successful 1965.

Poitier talks to Dorothy Dandridge successful the 1959 philharmonic "Porgy and Bess." At close is Pearl Bailey.

Poitier, center, attends a civil-rights rally adjacent the Statue of Liberty successful 1960. Singer and histrion Harry Belafonte is connected the acold left.

Poitier appears connected the speech amusement "Open End" with histrion Tony Franciosa, big David Susskind, vocalist and histrion Harry Belafonte and histrion Shelley Winters.

Civil rights person Martin Luther King Jr., left, is joined by, from left, vocalist and histrion Harry Belafonte, activistic Asa Philip Randolph and Poitier circa 1960. A fewer years later, Poitier was 1 of the Hollywood celebrities who attended the 1963 March connected Washington.

Poitier attends the Cannes Film Festival successful France successful 1961. He starred successful the theatrical mentation of "A Raisin successful the Sun," which won the Gary Cooper Award astatine the festival.

Poitier besides starred successful the signifier mentation of "A Raisin successful the Sun."

Poitier appears with Diahann Carroll successful a country from the 1961 movie "Paris Blues."

Poitier appears with Lilia Skala successful the 1963 movie "Lilies of the Field."

Poitier holds his champion histrion Oscar aft winning for "Lilies of the Field." It was the archetypal clip a Black antheral had won the grant for champion actor.

Poitier signs his sanction and leaves his handprints astatine the celebrated Grauman's Chinese Theatre successful Hollywood.

Poitier stars successful 1967's "To Sir, with Love."

Poitier appears successful a country from "In the Heat of the Night." The 1967 movie won the Oscar for champion representation and is besides known for 1 of Poitier's astir celebrated movie quotes: "They telephone maine Mister Tibbs!"

Poitier talks with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn successful a country from different 1967 hit, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."

Poitier appears successful "The Lost Man" with Joanna Shimkus successful 1969. The 2 joined successful 1976.

From left, actors Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Barbra Streisand and Poitier stitchery astatine their movie accumulation institution First Artists successful 1972.

Poitier carries his girl Anika arsenic his wife, histrion Joanna Shimkus, wheels their younger girl Sydney astatine Heathrow Airport successful London successful 1974.

Bill Cosby talks to Poitier during a country from the movie "Uptown Saturday Night" successful 1974.

Poitier explains a country to histrion Richard Pryor arsenic helium directs the 1980 drama "Stir Crazy."

Poitier stands adjacent President Bill Clinton and archetypal woman Hillary Clinton astatine the Kennedy Center Honors successful 1995. At near is ballet dancer Jacques d'Amboise, who besides was honored that year.

South African President Nelson Mandela stands adjacent to Poitier astatine a quality league successful Cape Town, South Africa, successful 1996. Poitier played Mandela successful the movie "Mandela and de Klerk."

Poitier chats with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg earlier the premiere of the movie "Mandela and de Klerk" successful 1997.

Poitier plays astir with boxing fable Muhammad Ali astatine an ESPY Awards rehearsal successful 1997. Poitier would contiguous Ali with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage.

Poitier is joined by his wife, Joanna, and respective of his daughters astatine the Screen Actors Guild Awards successful 2000.

Poitier is presented with a Hall of Fame tribute astatine the NAACP Image Awards successful 2001.

Poitier laughs with histrion Denzel Washington astatine an NBA playoff crippled successful Los Angeles successful 2002.

Poitier and Diahann Carroll contiguous an grant astatine the NAACP Image Awards successful 2005.

Poitier talks to children successful Porto Novo, Benin, during a measles vaccination run organized by the Red Cross successful 2005.

President Barack Obama talks with Poitier aft presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom successful 2009. "It's been said that Sidney Poitier does not marque movies, helium makes milestones — milestones of creator excellence; milestones of America's progress," Obama said during the ceremony. "On surface and down the camera, successful films specified arsenic 'The Defiant Ones,' 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,' 'Uptown Saturday Night,' 'Lilies of the Field' — for which helium became the archetypal African American to triumph an Academy Award for champion histrion — Poitier not lone entertained, but enlightened, shifting attitudes, broadening hearts, revealing the powerfulness of the metallic surface to bring america person together."

Poitier attends a tribute to histrion Shirley MacLaine successful 2012.

Poitier and histrion Angelina Jolie contiguous an Academy Award unneurotic successful 2014.

Poitier's handprints are seen astatine the TCL Chinese Theatre successful Hollywood successful 2020.