breaking director, paving the way for black actors in film. the love by generations for his activism for racial equality. it s especially poignant in america today. here s a brief look back at the man and his lasting impact. they call me mr. tibs. reporter: sidney poitier played characters who jumped off the screen, opposite rod steiger in the heat of the night. now where did you earn it? i m a police officer. amen reporter: and in the lillies of the field as hammer man martin smith. lots of luck, mother. reporter: the one that won him the first ever lead oscar for an african-american. it is a long journey to this moment. reporter: raised in the bahamas, he moved to harlem as a teen-ager and endured the hard
medal of freedom the nation s highest civil honor. joining me annow is the filmmaker the legendary filmmaker, mr. spike lee. spike, thank you. how you doing, sir? i m doing okay. this one hit me hard. um, you know me too, me too. a lot of people. mr. poitier mr. tibbs, he was a trailblazer. he had so much presence, he had so much dig thinnity on the scr and in life. talk about the impact he had on on film and this country and you. my dear mother was a so she took me to see lilies a field in 1963. and later on, in 67, heat of the night. and my mother loved her some sidney, like a lot of women did, she loved sidney. and here is the thing that i really want to say.
in the heat of the night . i m a police officer. amen. reporter: and in the field as handyman homer smith. i ain t building no shop. yeah, you. reporter: the role that won him the first ever lead actor oscar for a black performer. it is a long journey to this moment. reporter: raised in the bahamas, he moved to harlem as a teenager and endured the usual hard scrabble climb to an actor s life then came no way out, the ground breaking joseph mankiewicz film about racism. you watch yourself, black boy. reporter: in 67 he reached hollywood mountain top its top earning leading man, righteous enough to slap and return the white politician who had slapped him. and in guess who s coming to dinner, an interracial couple telling his disapproving father time to change. you think of
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