Incomparable actress and civil rights activist Ruby Dee passed away yesterday at the age of 91.
The stage and screen star, who has been a revered Hollywood fixture for several decades, died at home in New York, according to reports.
Ruby Dee, who often acted alongside her late husband of 57 years Ossie Davis, achieved a career longevity of which most actresses could only dream.
She began acting in the 1940s and continued into the 2000s with roles in American Gangster, for which she earned an Oscar nomination, and Their Eyes Were Watching God.
During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Ruby and Ossie were prominent fixtures in the fight for equality. The two served as masters of ceremonies at the 1963 March on Washington. They continued to advocate for justice throughout their lives. In 1999, they were arrested while protesting the fatal shooting of unarmed immigrant Amadou Diallo.
“We used the arts as part of our struggle,” Ruby said in 2006.
Ruby was born Ruby Ann Wallace in 1923. A Raisin in the Sun and Do the Right Thing are among her best known films. She received several accolades for her talent and her passion for equality during her lifetime, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild.
Watch a clip of Ruby and Sidney Poitier in A Raisin in the Sun.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZK3EX6N1tI%5D
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Legendary actress Ruby Dee dead at 91 was originally published on s2smagazine.com
