Fri - Feb 12th
February brings Black History Month and we will be recognizing a special African American each day during our announcements. Today we are recognizing
Sidney Poitier (1927 to present) Actor, Filmmaker, Director
In 1964, the legend became the first African-American to win an Academy Award for Lilies of the Field, an important piece of cinema about a black handyman who encounters a group of German, Austrian and Hungarian nuns who believe that he’s been heaven-sent. Some may say the same about Poitier’s career. The films that he created in 1967 were seminal — they all centered around race and race relations and tapped into conversations everyday black folks were having around their dinner tables. To Sir with Love dealt with racial and social issues inside of a school in London’s East End. In the Heat of the Night introduced us to a black detective who is investigating a murder in a small Southern town and the much-referenced Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner addressed interracial relationships the same year that a landmark Supreme Court civil rights decision invalidated laws prohibiting interracial unions. Sidney Poitier, an African-American who we celebrate today for Black History Month.
PRIDE Leaders: Please plan to join Mrs. Blake for a quick Google Meet about our next activity on your distance day next Tuesday or Thursday morning at 8:30. Check our Google Classroom for details. Email Mrs. Blake with questions.