The speeches of film legend Sidney Poitier—given at commencement addresses, awards shows, memorials, and more, on topics ranging from entertainment history to filmmaking, civil rights, and parenthood—come to vibrant life in this inspirational and stunningly packaged volume from the Poitier estate that sheds new light on the trailblazing artist's life and culture of the past century.
Sidney Poitier represented strength, good looks, and above all dignity at a time when Black representation on the screen was so often relegated to servile parts. He broke ground as the top box-office draw in Hollywood at the peak of his career, and was the first Black actor to win the Best Actor Oscar, for his performance in Lillies of the Field (1963). Poitier—who narrowly escaped illiteracy after rising up from an impoverished childhood and the massive obstacles he faced as a Black man in mid-twentieth century America—was also one of
