sara sidner has a look back at his extraordinary life. >> reporter: sidney poitier was so much more than a film legend. he's revered, not just because of what he did on screen, but also because of his tremendous impact off screen as a champion of civil rights. >> we believe in the essential dignity of every human being. >> reporter: the son of a bahamian tomato farmer, he lived a life of firsts, first black man to win an oscar for best actor, and one of the first black people to become a true hollywood star among the greatest of all time. >> we have lots and lots and lots of african american actors. now, when we didn't have any, i appeared. not because i brought so much, but because the time was right. >> reporter: but his career