

Photo credit: Tourism Today / BMOT

Nassau, Bahamas - Photos from today's (November 2nd) bridge renaming ceremony in Nassau. Paradise Island Bridge is now officially renamed "The Sidney Poitier Bridge".



Photos seen here are from Tourism Today (Bahamas Ministry of Tourism).



The naming of the bridge ceremony, and the launching ceremony of the 40th Pre-Independence celebration, was wonderful this morning. Out of all the honours, Sir Sidney received; there is nothing like being honoured by your own people, while you are still living. Nassau, Bahamas - Photos from today's (November 2nd) bridge renaming ceremony in Nassau. Paradise Island Bridge is now officially renamed "The Sidney Poitier Bridge".Photos seen here are from Tourism Today (Bahamas Ministry of Tourism).

What Sir Sidney Poitier, did this morning is not uncommon in the Jewish society, the Jews speak blessings over their children. He, Sir Sidney Poitier, spoke a 'blessing' over the youth of the Bahamas. I hope that we all realize the significance of this. It is a wonderful thing. - Deborah Seymour-Addo (Facebook comment)



THINGS BAHAMIANS MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT SIDNEY POITIER (Facebook post by Christopher Cashmere Farrington)



1. Funded the construction of the Jordan Prince William Baptist School

2. Served at Bahamian Ambassador to Japan from 1997-2012

3. Sir Sidney made financial contributions to The Bahamas, inclusive of Cat Island

4. He provided funding for educational scholarships and most of the finances from hurricane relief funds were donated by Sir Sidney

5. Fought with the Father of the Nation during Majority Rule

7. He is also serves as Ambassador of The Bahamas to UNESCO.

8. First African American-Bahamian actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor

Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE (born February 20, 1927) is an American-Bahamian actor, film director, author, and diplomat.

In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor[2] for his role in Lilies of the Field.[3] The significance of this achievement was later bolstered in 1967 when he starred in three successful films To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, making him the top box office star of that year. In all three films, issues revolve around the race of the characters Poitier portrays.[4] In 1999, the American Film Institute named Poitier among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking 22nd on the list of 25.



Poitier has directed a number of popular movies such as A Piece of the Action, Uptown Saturday Night, Let's Do It Again (with friend Bill Cosby) and Stir Crazy (starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder). In 2002, 38 years after receiving the Best Actor Award, Poitier was chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to receive an Honorary Award, designated "To Sidney Poitier in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being." Since 1997, he has been the Bahamian ambassador to Japan. On August 12, 2009, Sidney Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America's highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.



Sidney Poitier was born in Miami, in Coconut Grove, where his Bahamian parents, Evelyn (née Outten) and Reginald James Poitier, traveled to sell tomatoes and other produce from their farm on Cat Island.[8] His birth was two months premature and he was not expected to survive, but his parents remained three months in Miami to nurse him to health.[9] Because of his birth in the U.S., he automatically gained U.S. citizenship. Poitier was raised in a Roman Catholic family. He grew up with his family on Cat Island, The Bahamas, then a British colony. At age 10, he moved to Nassau with his family. At the age of 15 he was sent to Miami to live with his brother. At the age of 17, he moved to New York City and held a string of jobs as a dishwasher. A Jewish waiter sat with him every night for several weeks helping him learn to read the newspaper. He then decided to join the United States Army after which he worked as a dishwasher until a successful audition landed him a spot with the American Negro Theater. (Wikipedia)



Related articles:



Bahamas Prime Minister's remarks at Sidney Poitier bridge-naming ceremony

Bahamas' Celebrity Artist presents to Sir Sidney during bridge renaming ceremony

Bridge renaming ceremony TODAY in honour of Sir Sidney Poitier KBE











Photo credit: Tourism Today / BMOT



Photo credit: Tourism Today / BMOT



Photo credit: Tourism Today / BMOT



Photo credit: Tourism Today / BMOT



Photo credit: Tourism Today / BMOT



Photo credit: Tourism Today / BMOT



Photo credit: Tourism Today / BMOT



Photo credit: Tourism Today / BMOT