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Sidney Poitier was one of the last major stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. He was the first African American to win an Academy Award for best actor. He died on January 6, 2022.
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In late 1967 and early 1968, Sidney Poitier became America’s most popular movie star. Three of his films – "To Sir, With Love," "In the Heat of the Night," and "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" – all soared to the top of the box office charts. The adoration reflected the way that Poitier soothed the nation’s racial wounds. In a time of urban riots and Black Power, he represented a liberal ideal as a Black man of restraint, intelligence, and dignity. As he hit this career apex, however, Poitier was also subject to intense scorn. Critics called him a passive, too-perfect martyr whose roles made white people feel good, but did nothing for Black progress. Poitier was at a crossroads.
This lecture will examine the arc of Poitier’s career, the challenges that he faced, the way that he became an icon of the civil rights movement, and the political backlash that he endured.
Presenter: Aram Goudsouzian is the Bizot Professor of History at the University of Memphis. He is the author of five books, including "Sidney Poiter: Man, Actor, Icon."
At the conclusion of the program please feel free to take a brief online survey here:
https://www.projectoutcome.org/responses/61591
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