..and who entertained millions more. sidney poitier one of the greats. cheryl boone isaacs is the founding director of the sidney poitier new american film school at arizona state university and former president of the academy of motion picture arts and sciences, best known for organising the oscars. here s how she remembers him. he was a major beacon of light that came on the scene and on the screen many decades ago, and through his life s work, whether in front of the camera behind the camera, he hasn t had a major impact on the created world. and especially for the black community and black storytellers. it is such an honour for me to be able to be part of his legacy that we are going to carry into the future. he was a great man, great
absolutely. and it is with that legacy that we are going to move forward and make sure that that legacy stays alive. and that we impart all the greatness of sidney poitier in future storytellers. how do you think his legacy is left? obviously so many actors and actresses stand on his shoulders now? that is exactly right. he paved the way for many, filmmakers, as well as people like myself, this influence was massive, just massive. and not least with denzel washington, who was a huge actor now, but he obviously paid tribute to him all those years ago? absolutely. we always think of the two of them, the night of the oscars, when denzel won his oscar for best actor, and halle berry won the best actress, and sidney poitier received his historic honorary oscar, that was a major, major evening, and it filled my heart and i cried my eyes out. it was special.
on my black knees. all right, mr charlie. all right, mr great white father. you just give us that money! and we won t come out there and dirty up your white folks neighbourhood. the era, of course, meant he had a burden his white counterparts rarely had to carry the weight of being a symbol. but he bore it with dignity. in lilies of the field, playing a travelling handyman, helping build a group of nuns a new chapel. # sing it over. the winner is sidney poitier. he won the academy award the first black performer ever to receive the oscar for a leading role. in the years that followed, he became hollywood s biggest star, redefining how audiences saw black characters with films like to sir, with love. you will call me sir or mr thackeray . the young ladies will be addressed as miss , the boys by their surnames. some of what i am was reflected in those movies.
the headlines: in the us, three white men who were convicted of chasing and then murdering ahmaud arbery, a black man, in the state of georgia, have been sentenced to life in prison. the case became a focus of protests by the black lives matter movement. the us have questioned kazakhstan s decision to seek russian military support to deal with a wave of violent unrest. russia says its deployment of troops is temporary. dozens of people have been killed during nationwide protests triggered by a rise in fuel prices. one of the best known black hollywood actors of the past century, sidney poitier, has died. he was 94. mr poitier was the first black man to be awarded best actor at the academy awards in 1964, and paved the way for a new generation of stars. during the pandemic, thousands of dog thefts were reported across
ago. tribute to him all those years ao, , , ., , , ago. absolutely. denzel washington, ago. absolutely. denzel washington, we - ago. absolutely. denzel washington, we always| ago. absolutely. denzel- washington, we always think of the two of them on the night of the two of them on the night of the oscars when denzel washington won an oscar for best actor, and halle berry for best actor, and halle berry for best actress, and mr poitier receiving his historic honorary oscar was a major, major evening, and ijust. it filled my heart and i cried my eyes out, it was special. and eyes out, it was special. and so many eyes out, it was special. and so many tributes eyes out, it was special. and so many tributes obviously coming in from around the world today, what have you heard that has moved you from other people and made you think, yeah, you know, it is my friend, that is the person i knew? it know, it is my friend, that is the person i knew?- know, it is my friend, that is the perso