Miami Artist Paints Sidney Poitier Mural In Little Havana To Honor Black History Month

MIAMI, FL — Artist Kyle Holbrook painted a mural of Sidney Poitier to memorialize the one-month anniversary of the late actor’s death and to honor Black History Month, which is celebrated in February.

The mural, which was sponsored by Holbrook’s organization Moving Arts Kids, was unveiled in the Little Haiti Sunday.

It was hand painted with acrylic print paint and a brush on the iconic double-decker bus in the heart of the neighborhood, according to a news release from the artist. Holbrook has painted several murals sponsored by the United Nations in Little Haiti and in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

Born in Miami, Poitier, who has Haitian roots, was raised in the Bahamas. In 1963, he won a best actor Academy Award for “Lilies of the Field,” making him the first Black actor to win an Oscar in that category.

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Other well-known films include “To Sir with Love,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.”

He died in Beverly Hills on Jan. 18 at 94. His cause of death was a combination of heart failure, prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s dementia.

“I’m honored to have to opportunity to memorialize this great figure in Black History during Black History Month while utilizing public art to reduce blight, educate, inspire and beautify the community,” Holbrook said.