. >> they call me mr. tibbs. >> the tributes to a trail blazer pouring in from around the world. >>> good morning, america. so great to have you with us this weekend, and we're extra excited this morning because not only do we have james longman visiting us from our london bureau, but our great friend eva pilgrim back from maternity leave. it's so great to see you. welcome back. >> i missed you guys. i just saw james like a couple of weeks ago. >> we hung out. >> but haven't seen you in a while. >> i was going to say i'm a little bit jealous he got to meet baby ella before i did. >> it was a socially distanced outdoors walk. >> she's a brash baby. >> of course. >> so i got to meet her. >> you were in the uk. i couldn't exactly take an uber. so excited to have you back and, james, great to have you. >>> we do have a busy morning. a lot to get to this morning. we begin with that surge in covid cases across the country. >> about one in every five americans has now tested positive for the virus and more than 130,000

. >> call me mr. tibbs sidney poitier, the first black man to win the academy award for best actor, has died at the age of 94. we look back at his groundbreaking career. welcome to world news america on pbs and around the globe. we beginning kazakhstan. the president has ordered security forces to fire on protesters without warning. mass protests against the authoritarian government began a few days ago, after a sudden rise in fuel prices. dozens of people have been killed, and russian troops have arrived to support the president. security forces claim order has mostly been restored. from kazakhstan's largest city, al, our correspondent has the latest. reporter: the army cause extent is standing guard here on the street of almaty. after many protesters killed, the state security forces seem to be back in control. when we came close to them, the warning not to approach is very clear. today, the president was clear. anymore unrest will be met with lethal force. >> terrorists continue to damage state and priva

>> they call me mr. tibbs. >> mr. o the depot, and i mean boy like now. >> i have the fbi lab send you a report on this. >>> legendary actor, director, and longtime activist sidney poitier dead at the age of 94. he was the first black man to win the best actor oscar. his civil rights activism inspired so many americans. in 2009, president barack obama awarded poitier the presidential medal of freedom -- the nation's highest civil honor. joining me annow is the filmmaker -- the legendary filmmaker, mr. spike lee. spike, thank you. >> how you doing, sir? >> i'm doing okay. this one hit me hard. um, you know -- >> me too, me too. a lot of people. >> mr. poitier -- mr. tibbs, he was a trailblazer. he had so much presence, he had so much dig thinnity on the scr and in life. talk about the impact he had on -- on film and this country and you. >> my dear mother was a -- so she took me to see lilies a field in 1963. and later on, in '67, "heat of the night." and my mother loved her some sidney, like a lot of women did, she lov

they call me mr tibbs. tributes pour in for the giant of hollywood, sir sidney poitier, who has died aged 94. he was the first black man to win the oscar for best actor. a court in the us state of georgia hands out life sentences to three white men who murdered ahmaud arbery, a killing that sparked black lives matter protests. the aftermath of days of unrest in kazakhstan. security forces are ordered to shoot to kill protestors. novak djokovic has thanked fans for their support and remains in this hotel. the australian government rejects claims that the grand slam champion is being held captive after failing to meet vaccine entry requirements. and this letter had no surname or address on the envelope — just a short biography. but amazingly, it made it to the right person. hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. one of the best known black hollywood actors of the past century, sidney poitier, has died. he was 94. he was the first black man to win an oscar for best actor, and his succes

>> mr. tibbs. >> mr. tibbs, take mr. bbs down to the depot right now. >> i'll have the fbi lab send you the report on this. >> legendary actor, director and long-time activist sidney poitier dead at the age of 94. the first black man to win the best actor oscar and civil rights activism inspired so many americans. in 2009, president barack obama awa awarded poitier the highest civil honor. joining me is the film maker, the legendary film maker mr. spike lee. spike, thank you. >> how are you doing, sir? >> i'm doing okay. this one hit me hard. you know -- >> me, too, me, too. a lot of people -- this hurt. >> he was a trailblazer. he had so much presence. he had so much dignity on the screen and life. talk about the impact he had on the film in this country and you. >> my dear mother took me to see "lilies of the field" in 1963 when i was 6 years old. >> wow. >> and later on in '67 "heat of the knight" and my mother loved her some sidney like a lot of women did. here is the thing i wanted to say. sidney paid a price. the ro

they call me mr tibbs. ..and entertained millions more. sidney poitier, one of the greats.ainment correspondent, colin paterson. let's reflect on a remarkable life in the world of cinema as an actor, the beautiful voice, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind. such a gorgeous voice, such a success and in someone who could direct as well. it is hard to underestimate how important he is to the history of cinema in particular to the history of black acting. it has been said many times over the years that he was to acting with jackie robinson was to acting with jackie robinson was to acting with jackie robinson was to baseball. someone who came along, behave with dignity, achieved at the absolute top of the game and paved the way for others to follow him. the fact that he could go from a 1963 oscar to becoming the first black man to win the best actor oscar for years later, black man to win the best actor oscarfor years later, he black man to win the best actor oscar for years later, he was the biggest box office star in hollywood with those three huge films in the year, th

he was a top leading earning man as mr. tibbs.an that slapped him. >> there was a time when i could have had you shot. >> and in "guess who's coming to dinner". as half of an interracial couple telling his disapproving father times have changed. >> i miss you. i love you, but you think of yourself as a colored man. i think of myself as a man. >> in the 70s he moved from acting to directing. some critics said he played the same role too many times. as a director, he was a money maker with hits like "stir crazy" in movies with bill cosby. >> our nation taught us on the brink of disaster. >> his enduring images of a man and actor of principal, no surprise he would play mandela. a man whose existence among us made racism less palatable as he noted after receiving a lifetime achievement oscar. >> not because i brought so much, but because the time was right, circumstances were right. >> sydney poitier, the right man for his time. joe fryer, nbc news. >> sidneyspos poitier was 94 years old. >>> record unemployment declines. record incre

they call me mr tibbs. _ blazed a trail for so many. they call me mr tibbs.. 3—0 down in the ashes, england's cricketers have had little to smile about in australia so far, but day three of the fourth test has changed the mood, even if it won't change the overall result. jonny bairstow�*s gutsy century rescuing england — when it looked like things were imploding. they dug in to reach 258—7 by the close of play in sydney, but still trailing australia by 158 runs. patrick gearey was watching. at a drizzly sydney, the weather soaked up more time in the test. for england, not nearly enough. australians have spent weeks mopping up, after all. haseeb hameed, beaten by michell starc for six. sydney was in pink to support the jane mcgrath cancer foundation. late wife of the great glenn who used to regularly do this to englishmen. the tormentor of zak crawley was scott boland, playing in his second test, having waited his whole career for these moments. joe root, england's captain, his ninth test wicket already. england's sad procession trudged on, surrounded, surrend

they call me mr tibbs. the giant of hollywood, sir sidney poitier, has died aged 94.fe sentences to three white men who murdered ahmaud arbery , a killing that ahmaud arbery, a killing that sparked black lives matter protests. the aftermath of days of unrest in kazakhstan. security forces are ordered to shoot to kill protestors. novak djokovic has thanked fans for their support and remains in this hotel. the australian government rejects claims that the grand slam champion is being held captive afterfailing to meet vaccine entry requirements.

. >> they call me mr. tibbs. >> reporter: it's maybe most memorable line from an iconic career spanning more than half a century. one that made sidney poitier among hollywood's most revered actors. born in miami, but raised in the bahamas, he moved back to the u.s. as a teenager. >> i was right. i know i was right. i have to prove it. >> reporter: his big screen debut came in 1950. it launched roles noted for their cultural impact during a time when america started confronting racial divisions. ♪ 20 long years on a chain gang ♪ >> reporter: starring opposite tony curtis, he was nominated for his first academy award in 1958. >> he didn't say anything to me. >> reporter: six years later he made history becoming the first black academy award winner for best actor in "lilies of the field." more iconic rolls followed. a big city detective investigating a murder in the rural south. >> we had black detectives in pretty much every city in the country. we had not had that kind of representation on the screen. i was very

. >> they called me mr. tibbs entertained millions more, sidney poitier, one of the greats. anchor: sir sidney poitier, whose death was announced today at the age of 94. there have been a number of tributes to sidney poitier on social media. the former u.s. president barack obama, who awarded him the presidential medal of freedom, tweeted he epitomized dignity and grace with the power of movies to bring us closer together. oprah wrote, for me, the greatest of the great trees has fallen. and the oscar-winning actress, viola davis, said their dignity, normalcy, strength, and sheer electricity he brought two roles showed us that we as black folks mattered. and bonnie greer says sir sidney's impact was enormous, and the actor and activist was a true one off. >> it is very difficult, maybe even impossible, to talk about the world, to talk about sidney poitier now in the sense that we do not know any where in the world that did not have sidney poitier. he was my generation's sort of icon. there was no one really befo hi

. >> they call me mr. tibbsicon of civil rights in america who broke new ground in popular culture. actors lawrence fishburne and franky faze

>> they call me mr. tibbs>> reporter: take virgil tibbs -- a philadelphia homicide detective, who reluctantly helped a small-town police chief in mississippi, played by rod steiger, solve a murder. >> why'd you two come here? >> to ask you about mr. coburn. >> but before signing on to play the role, poitier asked the movie studio for a major script change to this scene -- >> was mr. coburt ever in this greenhouse, say, last night about midnight? >> i said, if he slaps me, i am going to slap him back. you will put on paper that studio grease that the film will be shown nowhere in the world with me standing there taking the slap. >> reporter: god, yad wrn into the cont? >> that's right. >> you saw it. >> i saw it? what are you going to do about it? >> i don't know. >> reporter: and of course, it is one of the great, great moments in all of film -- all of film -- when you slap him back. >> yes. i knew that i would have been insulting every black person in the world. >> reporter: the youngest of seven children, sy

. >> they call me mr. tibbs. >> reporter: it's maybe the most memorable line from an iconic career spanning more than half a century. one that made sidney poitier among hollywood's most revered actors. born in miami, but raised in the bahamas, poitier moved back to the u.s. as a teenager. >> i was right. i know i was right. i've got to prove it. >> reporter: his big-screen debut came in "no way out" in 1950. it launched a series of roles known for their cultural impact during a time when america started confronting racial divisions. ♪♪ >> reporter: starring opposite tony curtis in "the defiant ones" poitier was nominated for his first academy award in 1958. >> he didn't say anything to me. i was just passing by. >> reporter: six years later he made history becoming the first black academy award winner for best actor in "lilies of the field." more iconic roles followed. playing virgin tibbs in "the heat of the night" in a sophisticated big-city detective investigating a murder in the rural south. >> though we hav

they call me mr tibbs. ..and who entertained millions more. sidney poitier — one of the greats.ty and former president of the academy of motion picture arts and sciences, best known for organising the oscars. here's how she remembers him. he was a major beacon of light that came on the scene and on the screen many decades ago, and through his life's work, whether in front of the camera behind the camera, he hasn't had a major impact on the created world. and especially for the black community and black storytellers. it is such an honour for me to be able to be part of his legacy that we are going to carry into the future. he was a great man, great philosopher, a philanthropic ideas and avenues, civil rights activist, and like i said, a tremendous force in the creative world. i know we have pictures of you with sidney poitier. give us some of your favourite memories of him? even physically, in person, he was so dynamic, you know, the energyjust wafted off of him. and when he would see me, certainly with others as well, but when he would see me, he would cluster his hands together

. >> they call me mr. tibbs. >> reporter: illuminating what we needed to see with a grace and dignity that's still so badly needed and will still be so sorely missed. jim axelrod, cbs news. >> o'donnell: missed so much, indeed. all right, still ahead, andrew cuomo makes a virtual appearance in court as there is news about a sex crime charge against him. and the world's top tennis player is detained down under. will he play in the australian open despite his lack of covid vaccination? getting out there has never tasted so good. try centrum multigummies. why hide your skin if dupixent has your moderate to severe eczema or atopic dermatitis under control? hide my skin? not me. by hitting eczema where it counts, dupixent helps heal your skin from within keeping you one step ahead of eczema. hide my skin? not me. and that means long-lasting clearer skin... and fast itch relief for adults. with dupixent, you can show more skin with less eczema. hide my skin? not me. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious al

>> they call me mr. tibbs reporter: "in the heat of the night." >> there was a time when i could have had you shot. >> reporter: that same year -- >> mom, this is john. >> so pleased to meet you. >> reporter: in "guess who's coming to dinner," part of an interracial couple pushing through boundaries. >> well, we have this problem, i fell in love with your daughter. >> reporter: the conversation with his father. >> i'm your son. i love you. i always have, and i always will, but you think of yourself as a colored man. i think of myself as a man. >> reporter: in 2002, awarded an honorary oscar for his life's work. poitier thanked those in hollywood who took a chance on him and who believed in a changing america. >> those filmmakers persevered, speaking through their art to the best in all of us, and i benefited from their effort. the industry benefited from their effort. america benefited from their effort. [ applause ] >> reporter: it was that same night, halle berry, the first black lead actress to win an oscar

they call me mr tibbs. ..and who entertained millions more. sidney poitier — one of the greats.his first name and a 57—word biography, has managed to find its way to the right place. our ireland correspondent emma vardy has the story. "feargal, lives across the road from the spar. "his ma and da used to own it." no house number, no street name, a few things much more personal than that. the first thing i noticed was the amount of detail on the envelope and basically, my biography. "moved to waterford after he got married." despite nothing more than a short story and half a postcode, yesterday this letter found its way straight to feargal lynn. i laughed so much. right through it all, to playing guitar, to, "friends with the fellow who owns the butchers in waterford." feargal had taken to writing letters to people over lockdown as a way to brighten the gloom, but never expected such a strange reply. the letter was from an old friend in belfast, who perhaps could have found out his address but thought this way was a little more fun. we were talking about the pandemic, we were talk

they call me mr tibbs. ..and who entertained millions more. sidney poitier, one of the greats.'s died at the age of 94. in the last few minutes there have been numerous tributes. the oscar—winning actress violet davies has said... oprah winfrey wrote... our correspondent sophie long is in los angeles. it is an important point to make his work was trailblazing on the screen but his impact on american culture transcended cinema.— transcended cinema. that's right, clive. not only _ transcended cinema. that's right, clive. not only was _ transcended cinema. that's right, clive. not only was he _ transcended cinema. that's right, clive. not only was he a - clive. not only was he a trailblazing actor with a landmark career full of acting, directing and producing roles but he was well aware of the power and responsibility that came with his fame and fortune. he reportedly once said he felt as if he were representing 18 million people with every move he made. he may not have chosen to represent all black men but as a sole black leading man in hollywood of his time, that ultimately beca

they call me mr tibbs. ..and who entertained millions more. sidney poitier, one of the greats.nced today at the age of 94. let's take a look at some of the tributes which have been paid by actors and directors to sidney poitier. the actor don cheadle said he was the standard bearer for generations of actors and directors. he is irreplaceable. denzel washington said he was a gentle man who opened doors which had been closed for years. spike lee said he was a proud, dignified, handsome and strong black man, a gamechanger who impacted lives with a positive force. and steve mcqueen said �*with his caribbean heritage and american birth, sidney poitier was an icon to the black diaspora. his family of course were from the bahamas. he was someone to be proud of, he was someone who dared, he was someone to love and he was someone to cherish. the author and playwright, bonnie greer, says sidney poitier�*s impact on society in the 1950s and 60s was enormous, and that the actor and activist was a true one—off. it is very difficult, maybe even impossible, to talk about sidney poitier now in

they call me mr tibbs. ..and who entertained millions more. sidney poitier — one of the greats.ge of 94. let's talk to our los angeles correspondent sophie long, who's in hollywood. sophie, sidney poitier�*s influence on the movie industry immense, but his legacy transcends hollywood. yeah, clive, it is hard to overstate the strength and depth of prejudice that sidney poitier overcame to go from being a tomato farmer's son who moved to new york city with $3 in his pocket to be the highest—paid actor in the world while the civil rights movement was still making headway in the united states. he changed perceptions of race, first black male star to engage the american national consciousness at a time when the prevailing image of a movie star was very much of someone white. and he was acutely aware of the power and responsibility that came with his fame and fortune. he once said he felt like he was representing 18 million people with every move he made. there has, of course, been a huge outpouring of tributes to the man who is one film critic put it did notjust to make it in hollywo

they call me mr tibbs. ..and who entertained millions more. sidney poitier — one of the greats.ople around the world for their support as he awaits a decision on his deportation from australia. the world number one men's tennis player remains in immigration detention in melbourne ahead of the australian open after being denied entry to the country on wednesday. government officials say he isn't being held captive and is free to leave any time. shaimaa khalil reports from melbourne. this is the immigration detention hotel where novak djokovic is being kept. adnan chopani has been here forfive months now, after being moved from another facility. i live in level two and djokovic lives in level one. that is the food we've been served every day in containers. we found a maggot and mould on the bread and we've been reporting it but unfortunately, there has no action been taken. outside the hotel, there was dancing and music, but also anger and frustration among novak djokovic's supporters. it's unclear if the tennis star will remain here until monday, when his legal team will challeng

they call me mr tibbs. ..and who entertained millions more. sidney poitier, one of the greats. on society was enormous. the actor and activist was a true one—off. it the actor and activist was a true one-off. , , ' . ._ , one-off. it is very difficult maybe even impossible _ one-off. it is very difficult maybe even impossible to _ one-off. it is very difficult maybe even impossible to talk _ one-off. it is very difficult maybe even impossible to talk about. one-off. it is very difficult maybe | even impossible to talk about the world, to talk about sidney poitier now and the sense that we don�*t know any more the world that did not have sidney poitier. he was my generations icon. there was no one before him who had the kind of stature and i was a little kid when he started working in the movies. but what was amazing about him was that he was of a generation, he is the last of a great powerhouse generation kirk douglas died last year, but he was in that generation, charlton heston, burt lancaster in sidney poitier and tony curtis. in this kind of generation that came out of the

they call me mr tibbs. ..and who entertained millions more. sidney poitier, one of the greats.aged 94. this evening there have been a number of tributes on social media. the former us president barack 0bama who awarded him the presidential medal of freedom in 2009 said he epitomised dignity and grace revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. 0prah bring us closer together. oprah winfrey wrote... and the 0scar—winning and the oscar—winning actress via davies said... the author and playwright bonnie greer says sidney poitier�*s impact on society in the 1950s and 60s was enormous and that the actor and activist was a true one. it is enormous and that the actor and activist was a true one.— activist was a true one. it is very difficult, maybe _ activist was a true one. it is very difficult, maybe even _ activist was a true one. it is veryl difficult, maybe even impossible, activist was a true one. it is very - difficult, maybe even impossible, to talk about sidney poitier now in the sense that we don�*t know any more the world that didn�*t have sidney poitier. he w

"lilies of the field," "to sir with love," "they called me mr. tibbs," "in the heat of the night." as i grew older and became involved in activism, i found he was an activist extraordinaire. his bond with harry belafonte was something known in all actor's circles and appreciated all over the world. it was through harry belafonte several times. his commitment as he would talk about human rights and civil rights was as real as his ability on the screen. he crossed this culture over into dealing with a black and having the skills and the perfect weapons that they needed as actors and actresses when it wasn't fashionable. he was the one that broke down the walls of mainstream hollywood when he became the first african american in history to get an academy award, and we as a nation, and certainly those of us in marginalized communities, must wish sidney poitier to rest in power. as i thought about sidney, i thought about how this coming tuesday, my new book is coming out about those that didn't have fame or fortune but that made real change, were pivotal in the movement for civil and hu

. >> they call me mr. tibbs. >> actor and activist sidney poitier gone at the age of 94. >> a blazing star in the firmament of artistic excellence. >> his legacy in hollywood and beyond. >>> i'm phil mattingly in washington in for pamly brown tonight, and you are in the "cnn newsroom." we begin this hour with a sobering reality on the covid pandemic. that viral blizzard u.s. was warned about, it's here very clearly. the swift spread of the highly contagious omicron variant has pushed hospitalizations close to the records set almost a year ago. and the number of american children hospitalized with covid has soared to the highest level of the entire pandemic. helping to drive that number, children under a who at this point are still too young to be vaccinated. many hospitals are facing a staffing crisis because covid is infecting their personnel. some states have deployed national guard troops, seen here on your screen in protective gear, to help fill the void. new york is now the latest state to mandate booster s

>> they called me mr. tibbs. reporter: they also called him sir.is dignified presence on screen opened the door for other black actors. after accepting an honorary oscar in 2002, he said he did not try to set the pace for others, his work was a reflection of his values. >> if someone saw that and felt they were of use to them, then i am blessed. reporter: from a childhood of poverty, he became an american icon, is symbol of persistence and possibility, of hope and of excellence. ♪ lindsay davis, abc news. ♪ dan: well. an amazing person. kristen: and that is why sidney poitier was admired i so many. former president barack obama writing today -- through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, sidney poitier up a demise dignity and grace revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. dan: denzel washington issued a statement saying, he was a gentle man that opened doors for all of us that had been closed for years. god bless him and his family. kristen: halle berry shared an emotional message writing -- rest in peace, beloved said n

. >> they call me mr. tibbs characters who jumped off the screen, opposite rod steiger in "the heat of the night." >> now where did you earn it? >> i'm a police officer. ♪ amen ♪ >> reporter: and in "the lillies of the field" as handyman martin smith. >> lots of luck, mother. >> yeah you. >> reporter: the one that won him the first ever lead oscar for an african-american. >> it is a long journey to this moment. >> reporter: raised in the bahamas, he moved to harlem as a teenager and endured the usual hard scrabble climb to an actor's life. and then came "no way out," a groundbrooking film about racism. >> you watch yourself black boy, watch how you talk to me. >> just shut up. >> reporter: he played a doctor, in a performance so powerful, the film was credited with ending british colonial rule in the bahamas, and in the intense 22-year-old performer, hollywood had its first african-american screen star. >> why you black -- >> go ahead and say it! >> first he would point out it was too long in coming. >> if we ar

>> they call me mr. tibbsrlina. find me monday through friday at 6:00 p.m. eastern on peacock, on the choice from msnbc. be sure to follow us on facebook, twitter, tiktok and youtube. more news is coming up right here, on msnbc. ♪♪ >>> it's a new hour, and first up on msnbc, we could be just weeks away from a closer look at what the january 6th select committee has found. the new face in the investigation and how it could involve former vice president mike pence. >>> a sharp increase in women extremists in the u.s. >>> workers protecting democracy amid the all important midterms in november, the president said to put the spotlight on this next week after his strongest words yet on january 6th. >> they't

. >> they call me mr. tibbs. >> actor and

. >> they call me mr. tibbsng a change in his iconic role as detective virgil tibbs in the 1967 academy award winning "in the heat of the night" because of a scene that would require him to acquiesce to a racist character. >> i am going to put you on the bus myself. >> you aren't taking me anywhere. you dig? you are holding the wrong man. >> reporter: that same year, he would star in the wa watershed film guess who is coming to dinner alongside spencer tracie and katherine hepburn. >> mom, this is john. >> reporter: the film not only depicted a successful interracial relationship, it also foreshadowed future progress in america. >> have you given any thought to the problems your children are going to have? >> yes. and they'll have some. and we'll have the children. oerds otherwise, i don't know what you would call it but you couldn't call it a marriage. >> is that the way joey feels? >> she feels every single one of our children would be president of the united states and they will all have colorful administrati

. >> they call me mr. tibbs>> i'm ph

they call me mr tibbs. slam champion is being held captive after failing to meet vaccine entry requirements.

. >> they call me mr. tibbss/connick role as detective virgil tibbs in the 1967 academy-award winning "in the heat of the night" because of a scene that would require him to aces to a racist character. >> i'm going to take you over to brownsville and put you on the bus myself. >> you're not taking me anywhere. you dig? you're holding the wrong man. >> reporter: that same way he would star in the watershed film "guess who is coming to dinner" alongside spencer tracy and katharine hepburn. >> mom, this is john. >> the film not only depicted a successful interracial relationship. it also foreshadowed future progress in america. >> have you given any thought to the problems your children are going to have? >> yes, and they will have some, and we'll have the children. otherwise i don't know what you would call it but you couldn't call it a marriage. >> is that the way the way joy feels? >> she feels that every single one of our children will be president of the united states and they will all have colorful administra

chasing you, sidny, there's nothing i would rather do, sir here's nbc's joe fryer >> they call me mr. tibbs. >> sidney poitier played kaurths that jumped off the screen opset rod stieger in the heat of the night. >> i'm a police officer. >> amen. >> and in the lilies of the field was handyman homer smith >> lots of luck, mother. i ain't building no shackle. >> yeah, you >> the role that won him the first ever lead actor oscar for an african-american. >> it is a long journey to this moment >> raised in the bahamas, he moved to harlem as a teenager and endured the usual hard scrabble climb to anicter's life, then came no way out, the groundbreaking 1950 film about racism >> you watch yourself, black boy. watch how you talk to me >> just shut up. >> poitier played a doctor, in a performance so powerful the film was credited with ending british colonial rule in the bahamas and the intense 22-year-old performer, hollywood had its first african-american screen star >> go ahead and say it >> a first he would later point out that was too long in coming. >> if we are 40 million americans, we certain

all i can say is thank you, and rest in piece, mr. tibbs.eft to “find themself.” leaving you lost. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire throughout history mi've observed markets shaped. by the intentional and unforeseeable. for investors who can navigate this landscape, leveraging gold, a strategic and sustainable asset... the path is gilded with the potential for rich returns. charles: all right, folks, some data suggesting retail investors starting to lose some steam over the last couple months. options trading activity bigtime records, but at the same token, investing in regular equities have not. now, one of the things that's propelled this market has been the new industrial revolution. i want to see that continue. i'm going to bring in rob luna and scott martin. first and foremost, happy new year to both of you. rob, i'll start with you. still gobs of money piled into this market. record amounts of money into etfs,

. >> they call me mr. tibbsoff the screen. opposite rod steiger "in the heat of the night." >> where did you earn it? >> i'm a police officer. ♪ amen ♪ >> reporter: in the lily of the field as handyman homer smith. >> lots of luck, mother. i'm not building a chapel. >> reporter: the role that won him the first lead actor oscar for an african-american. >> it is a long journey to this moment. >> reporter: ray, in the bahamas, he moved to harlem as a teenager and endured the usual hard climb to an actor's life. and then the film about racism. >> you watch yourself, black boy. watch how you talk to me. >> just shut up. >> reporter: portier played a doctor in a performance so powerful, the film was credited with ending british colonial rule in the bahamas, and the intense 22-year-old performer, hollywood had its first african-american screen star. >> why you black -- >> go ahead and say it. >> a first he would point out that was too long in coming. >> if we are 40 million americans, we certainly ought to have more th

"mr. tibbs". he was to hollywood what jackie robinson was to baseball.i think that this country, this world, and certainly the world of cinema could never pay the debt that is owed to sydney poitier. those who grew up in his shadow aspired to be more because he set an example that made us straighten our backs and walk more erect because we saw ourselves in him, a reflection of what excellence could look like and be like. >> you know, i'm glad you point this out. you know, with time one, i guess, could forget just how many barriers he broke. >> very easy to forget what you see all kinds of black artists today. but when sydney poitier did it, we had just come out of the world of black face, and of slap happy kind of acting. and sydney poitier was one of the first one that blacks were being projected seriously on a broad level. they did it on the big stage with big cinema companies, and broadened it so no one could miss it. and then at the same time, stayed committed to the cause. sydney poitier was at the march of washington. he would support causes, but h

. >> they call me mr. tibbsroke new ground in popular culture. actors lawrence fishburne and franky

. >> they call me mr. tibbs. >> reporter: but he would also challenge the hollywood establishment. require him to acquiesce to a racist character. >> i am going to take you over to brownsville and put you on the bus myself. >> you aren't taking me anywhere, you dig? you are holding the wrong man. >> reporter: that same year, he would star in the watershed film "guess who is coming to dinner?" alongside katherine hepburn. the film not only depicted a successful interracial relationship, it also foreshadowed future progress in america. >> have you given any thought to the problems your children are going to have? >> yes. and they'll have some. and we'll have the children, otherwise i don't know what you'd call it but you couldn't call it a marriage. >> is that the way joy feels? >> she feels that every single one of our children will be president of the united states, and that hey will all have colo administrations. >> it is only fitting in 2009, sidney poitier would be presented with the medal of freedom by president barack obama. >> poitier once called his driving purpose to make h

>> they called me mr mr. tibbster: but before signing on to play the role, poitier asked the movie studio for a major script change to this screen. >> was mr. colbert every in this house, around midnight? >> i said, if he slaps me, i'm going to slap him back. >> you will put on paper that the studio agrees that the film will be shown nowhere in the world with me standing there taking the slap. >> reporter: you had this written into the contract? >> that's right. >> you saw it. >> i saw it. what are you going to do about it? >> i don't know. >> reporter: and, of curse, it is one of the great, great moments in all of film, all of film, when you slap him back. >> yes. i knew that i would have been insulting every black person in the world. >> reporter: the youngest of seven children, sidney was born three months premature while his parents were in my miami to sell tomatoes. >> the lady took her hand and started speaking to my mother. and she said, don't worry about your son. he will survive. he will walk with kings. >

. >> they call me mr. tibbswho jumped off the screen, in "the heat of the night". >> i'm a police officer. >> and in "the lilies of the field". the role that won him the first ever lead actor oscar for a black performer. >> it's a long journey to this moment you. >> but he wasn't just a movie star, he was a proud and dignified black point of view with a question about race. in '67 he reached hollywood's mountain top, its top earning leading man as virgil tibbs. righteous enough to slap the white politician who slapped him. and dr. john prentiss, half of an interracial couple. >> you think of yourself as a colored man. i think of myself as a man. >> his work helped tear down racial barriers as he noted after receiving a lifetime achievement oscar. >> not because i brought so much but the time was right, circumstances were right. ♪♪ >> the right man for his time. ♪ to sir with love ♪ >> flags in the bahamas where he grew up were lowered to half staff in his honor. just an endless line of tributes for this legend.