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Profiles in African-American History

The Oscar nominations, announced last week, surely brought back memories for Sidney Poitier. In 1963, he became the first African American to win the Best Actor Academy Award, for his role in Lilies of the Field.

Poitier was born in Miami, Florida, in 1927 during a family visit and was raised in the Bahamas. He always dreamed of being an actor. When he was 16, Poitier moved to New York City to pursue his dream. He worked as a dishwasher and a janitor to pay for acting lessons. In 1950, he won a role in No Way Out. It was the first of his almost 60 movies.

Last year, Poitier received a special Oscar for outstanding achievement. "I arrived in Hollywood at the age of 22 in a time different than today's," he said. "A time in which the odds against my standing here tonight 53 years later would not have fallen in my favor." On February 20, this legendary actor turns 76.

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