Sidney Poitier, an iconic actor, and a spirited civil rights activist, has passed away aged 94. News of his passing was confirmed by Fred Mitchell, Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

At the moment, there aren't many details about the circumstances of his death.

Pointier's family has given a statement expressing their sadness at losing a beloved family member. In the statement, the family said that Pointier was a man who always put his family first.

His family also expressed its appreciation for those already sending their love and condolences worldwide.

Otherwise, Pointier was the first black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor is his most famous achievement. He won the prestigious award for his role in 1963's Lilies of the Field.

He had been nominated for the award back in 1958 for his role in The Defiant Ones.

After that, he went on to appear in many popular films. He also won an Oscar for Best Actor, and he was the only black man to get the award for 38 years until Denzel Washington got the award for his role in Training Day.

In fact, on the day Washington got the award, Pointier got an Honorary Oscar for his acting career and humanitarian work.

Pointier was raised in the Bahamas, but he moved to the US as a teenager. He first tried acting while still in high school in the film, No Way Out in 1950.

In the film, he acted as a black doctor who had to treat a bigoted white man. The role made him decide that he would not play roles that focused on racial stereotypes anymore.

After this decision, he was in the 1951 film, Cry, my Beloved Country, about apartheid South Africa.

Although movie lovers might know Pointier as an award-winning actor, he is also famous worldwide as a determined civil rights activist. He has been calling for racial equality and human dignity for years.

Pointier was a man who could wear many hats. For instance, from 1997 to 2007, he was Bahamas' ambassador to Japan.

It was while filling this role that he made his last appearance on screen in the 2001 TV movie, The Last Brickmaker in America. In the film, he acts as a widower mentoring a troubled teen.

Clearly, the world is not going to forget his contributions soon.