Hundreds Hear Poitier's Brilliant Lecturearticle by HBU's Collegian
The velvety red curtains slowly drew back to reveal the dark stage. The hundreds of audience members that packed Dunham Theater erupted in applause as a radiant spotlight illuminated the tall, sleek silhouette of Oscar Award-winning actor Sir Sidney Poitier. Speaking at the University on Nov. 7 as a part of the “Brilliant Lecture Series — Conversations with Brilliance,” Poitier reflected on the childhood memories that helped shape his life as one of the 20th century’s premiere actors and shared who he still hopes to become as a human being. Poitier, the first African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his lead role in the 1963 film “Lilies of the Field,” was introduced by Scott Brogan, the founder of The Brilliant Lecture Series Inc., a non-profit organization that seeks to educate, inspire and raise public awareness by facilitating interaction with prominent members of society. Following Brogan’s introduction, the lights dimmed as a brief video, narrated by movie star Morgan Freeman, chronicled Poitier’s professional achievements and civil rights activism. Freeman noted that many of Poitier’s films such as “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” served to push the racial envelope, thus creating the legacy of Poitier. Wearing a stately gray suit, Poitier began discussing the topic of his lecture: “The truth about you, me, and the ones of the human family.” He said that in light of the natural disasters and human tragedies that have taken place within the last year, it is important to reflect on the direction and stability of one’s life. He used “snapshots” and stories, beginning with his time in the Bahamas, where he lived until the age of 15, to give the audience insight into various experiences and undertakings of his adolescent years. Noting his discipline-oriented mother who he claims believed whole-heartedly in chastisement, Poitier told stories of his mother’s forms of punishment, which taught him to think quickly under pressure. One incident that Poitier said he remembers vividly despite his age at the time is of being flung into the ocean by his mother at the age of seven months. He explained that this was a common Bahamian tradition and that it was the first of his many swimming lessons that ultimately taught him valuable life lessons about overcoming hardships. Known for his philanthropic efforts as well as commercial success, Poitier recounted the story of one of his first experiences in giving from the heart. While the budding actor was working as a dishwasher in New York City, a fellow employee helped him learn to read. “Week after week, he would sit by me after the diner had closed and read with me,” Poitier recalled, expressing his deep gratitude to the co-worker who assisted him in his endeavor to become literate after dropping out of school at the age of 12. After addressing the audience for nearly an hour, Poitier concluded with advice for the audience. “Bit by bit I’ve learned, and bit by bit I’ve paid,” he said. “And in the final analysis, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been knocked down, but what you do with the time once you get back up.” |
