Sid Poitier Honored at Cannes, France

France gave Sidney Poitier its highest honor Thursday (February 18, 2006) at the Cannes Film Festival, where cultural minister praised him for tearing down barriers for black actors in Hollywood.

Poitier was named commander in France's order of arts and letters.

Cultural minister Renaud Donnedieu de Varbes told the 79-year actor: "You are a champion of equity between men."

Poitier thanked hid parents, who were field workers in the Bahamas for giving him the sense of honesty, integrity and compassion. He also thanked directors who broke with convention to hire him, calling them: "men who chose to change the pattern because it was not democratic, it was not American, it was not human."

The ceremony took place in the Festival Palace, at the 59th International Film Festival in Cannes on Thursday.

As always, well wishes,

F. Stanley Boyd