When I was growing up my household was not much different from many
others in America or the Bahamas. We ate dinner as a family, went to
church on Sundays and my strong black father taught me stories of
other great black men. Men honorable enough to be referred to as
heroes. Men like Dr Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Bill Russell and
Sir Sidney Poitier.
The passing of Sidney Poitier marks the death of a national hero whose
brilliance as an actor and activist touched millions of lives across
generations and whose work helped break down the racial barriers in
Hollywood. Poitier’s legacy is important for so many reasons.
America’s first Black movie star, and Oscar winner for Best Actor —
Poitier contributed so much to social transformations taking place far
beyond the movie screen. The Jeff Fox Show salutes this great Bahamian
Hero.
