Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier was a Bahamian-American actor whose commanding performances in films such as *The Defiant Ones*, *Lilies of the Field*, and *In the Heat of the Night* helped reshape opportunities for Black performers in American cinema. In 1964, he became the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, for *Lilies of the Field*. He later directed films, wrote memoirs, and served as a Bahamian diplomat.