Cindy Poitier has died at the age of 94 and to call him a Hollywood legend would hardly

do his career and legacy justice.

He was a man of many firsts, including the first black performer to win the Oscar for Best

Actor and a humanitarian who was active during the Civil Rights Movement.

He was also someone who was quite obviously dedicated to his craft and would turn in many

performances that resonate to this day.

I'm Aisha Harris and today we're remembering the films and legacy of Cindy Poitier on Pop

Culture Happy Hour from NPR.

Joining me today is Odie Henderson.

Odie is a film critic at RogerEbert.com.

It's great to have you back, Odie.

Thanks for having me.

Now even if you've never seen a Cindy Poitier movie before, I'm sure you're probably

aware at least of his legendary status.

Among his many accomplishments, he originated the role of Waterley Younger and the Broadway

production of a Raisin and the Sun and played him again in the 1961 movie adaptation.

In 1964, he became the first black performer to win an Oscar for Best Actor for Lilies

of the Field.

In the 1970s and 80s, he got behind the camera and directed a number of notable films,

including Uptown Saturday Night and Sturcrazy.

It can be really easy to talk about Poitier in terms of how he broke ground, but I think

it's really worth noting that one of the biggest reasons he loomed so large was those

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