Sidney Poitier: The Defiant One

He is one of America's greatest living actors, a man whose presence has graced the silver screen for over five decades. Sidney Poitier started out as the impoverished son of Caribbean parents. A troubled teen, his parents sent him to Miami to stay with relatives and keep out of trouble. In the United States Sidney Poitier found his true calling. Fighting racism and the stereotypes of African American performers, Sidney Poitier's magnetic screen presence appealed to both black and white audiences. His dignity and talent are characteristic of the first African American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. Sidney Poitier: The Defiant One would be useful for classes on American history, African American History, Media and Communications, Performing Arts and American Culture. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

• canard
• caricature
• caustic
• commensurate
• expletive
• formidable
• futility
• inadvertently
• inarticulate
• integrity
• itinerant
• pontificate
• precursor
• reciprocate
• regime
• vigilant

1. Sidney Poitier grew up in the Caribbean, in a society where the majority of people were black. How was his upbringing different than those of African Americans? How could these different environments contribute to different experiences, especially with racism?

2. When Sidney Poitier left the army, he obtained work as a dishwasher. How did Poitier go from being a dishwasher to an actor?

3. Sidney Poitier went to South Africa during Apartheid to film some movies. What did he have to do in order to obtain legal work permits in South Africa? What does this say about the system of Apartheid?

4. Describe Apartheid and its impact on Black Africans.

5. Why did Sidney Poitier have so much trouble finding work during the 1950s, even though his reviews were excellent and he was acknowledged as a gifted young actor?

6. One of Poitier's most memorable roles was that of an escaped convict in the film The Defiant Ones. Why was this film considered a groundbreaking film?

7. Sidney Poitier refused to allow racism to stand in the way of his life or his career. How did Poitier force America to see him as an actor, not a Black actor?

8. Describe the "blaxploitation" films of the 1970s.

9. How has Sidney Poitier's craft and career changed over the past five decades?

1. Arrange to see one of Sidney Poitier's movies and write a review about the movie and Poitier's performance.

2. Create a movie poster for one of Sidney Poitier's movies.

3. Write an essay in which you discuss the contributions of Sidney Poitier, on and off the screen.

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Air Dates

• February 18, 2004