He’s been on my mind lately, so I thought I’d “call him up”…well not exactly on the telephone, but rather I’d “call him out” online. Mr. Sidney Poitier is undoubtedly “the man” when it comes to outstanding talent, effective skill and longevity in the film industries will. Is he not the best? He made the black in black & white films POP when he starred opposite of Jamie Lee Curtis’ dad in “THE DEFIANT ONES“. Remember that?

When thinking about the contributions that Mr. Poitier has given of himself, his talent and his time, I can’t help but to sum it up to: “The measure of a man: A spiritual autobiography” by Sidney Poitier. Surely you heard about this book a few years ago (at best). It was a headliner in OPRAHS BOOK CLUB and drew a boatload of outstanding reviews. Here’s an excerpt from the book that I found immediately relative to my own jouney:

“Writers of a spiritual or metaphysical persuasion often convey their message through storytelling. They illustrate their points with parables drawn from great teachers of the past, whether it be Jesus of Nazareth, or Buddha, or the latest Arabic sage or Sufi mystic—the more exotic the better. Some take this natural tendency to great lengths, writing whole books devoted to finding the deep wisdom embedded in ancient folk tales, psychologically complex stories drawn from Africa, Scandinavia, East Asia, Latin America, and many other far-flung countries. They do this, it seems, to get as far away as possible from our contemporary mindset so that we can see modern, digitized, postindustrial life as if through new eyes (or, perhaps, through very ancient, very grounded eyes).”

I remember seeing old movies of him and Bill Cosby – they ran the seventies.
You couldn’t tell me back then those two weren’t the thickest of thieves.
Need a refresher? Peep these:
Comedies w/Sid P. & Bill C.

Mr. P. has always been good looking to me,
so I did a little research on his roots/biography.

Born in Miami, while his parents vacationed from the Bahamas.
He’s been an American sensation every since – headlining in the heaviest dramas.

February 20th is his upcoming birthdate
born in 1927 makes him 84 all in yo’ face.
[by 2011 calculate]

He’s got six kids and has been married twice;
still married to the second Mrs. & their offspring is nice.

Perhaps you’ve heard of their eldest daughter Anika?
If not perhaps you’ve seen the baby of the family: Ms. Tamiia?

Either way the offspring have sprung and are making names of their own
I’m Qui
Still raving about their father because I’ve got a ‘black intellect’ jones. 🙂

No – I kid you – I bring him up because the weight of his life will always be relevant.
Sidney Poitier may be born of the Bahamas but his kids are of historical icon descent.
He’s ranked right up there with Dr. Martin Luther King & ‘nem.

F.Y.I.: The Defiant Ones will be on TURNER CLASSIC MOVIE Channel [TCM] TODAY – 1.17.11 11:15a/ 12:15p [noon] CST