Sidney Poitier, the first Black actor to win best actor at the Oscars, died on Jan. 7 at age 94. Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis confirmed his passing during a press conference. "It is with great sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of Sir Sidney Poitier. Our whole Bahamas grieves and extends our deepest condolences to his family," he began. "But even as we mourn, we celebrate the life of a great Bahamian: a cultural icon, an actor and film director, an entrepreneur, civil and human rights activist and, latterly, a diplomat. We admire the man, not just because of his colossal achievements, but also because of who he was: his strength of character, his willingness to stand up and be counted, and the way he plotted and navigated his life's journey."
The prolific actor helped pave the way for future Black stars in Hollywood. Denzel Washington, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, and more wrote touching tributes to Poitier following his death.
