Years ago as a child in Jamaica, in my 10th grade English class we studied the novel, A Raisin in the Sun by the great Lorraine Hansberry – I was awestruck and spellbound. Later, my class watched the screenplay with a young Sidney Poitier and an intense full of energy Ruby Dee.
She was always beautiful and magnetic onscreen, so as an adult I’ve actively sought out her work in other film projects and was never let down.
Whenever Ruby Dee was on camera, she owned it, going toe to toe with some of cinema’s giants including the aforementioned collaborator Poitier and her real life partner Ossie Davis.
Ruby was a testament to hard work; tenacity mixed with grace and passion. At 91 years old the incomparable Ruby Dee has lived a long and full life.
