New York City Council, Mayor to Honor Actress Ruby Dee with Special Resolution

The New York Post’s "Page Six" reports that Emmy Award winning actress Ruby Dee may soon be getting some long-overdue recognition from her hometown of New York City – in the form of a special resolution of commendation from the New York City Council and from Mayor Michael Bloomberg himself.

The New York City Council is scheduled to vote shortly to give 83-year old actress and civil rights activist Ruby Dee a special commendation for her work as an actress and promoter of civil rights over her noteworthy career, and that Bloomberg will follow suit with his own special Mayor’s Commendation.

In 2004, Dee and her husband Ossie Davis, who has since passed away, were honored by the Kennedy Center for their contributions to the performing arts in America. But up until now, no major institution in her hometown of New York City has ever taken a similar step.

The city council and mayoral honors coincide with honors being given to Dee, the late Harlem filmmaker St. Clair Bourne, and actor-directors Harry Belafonte and Melvin Van Peebles next week for their pioneering film work as part of the six-day 350th Harlem Anniversary Celebrations/Black Documentary Film Festival, organized by by the Black Documentary Collective.

Next Monday, October 13, Dee, Belafonte and Van Peebles will be honored at award ceremonies at the Harlem AMC Theatre on 125th St. Films being shown during the festival will be screened at the Maysles Film Institute, the Harlem AMC Theatre and at Medgar Evers College in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Dee will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in film and theater; Belafonte, the Outstanding Humanitarian Award and Van Peebles, the Independent Cinema Pioneer Award.

The Oct. 10 through 13 film festival screenings are free; the Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 screenings will have suggested donations. Event sponsors include the Harlem Preservation Foundation, Neighborhood Artists Inc. and EVT Educational Productions, Inc. For information about screening times and locations, go to www.harlemthennowandforever.org.

Dee, who was born in Cleveland but grew up and spent most of her life in Harlem, has crossed all major forms of media over a span of eight decades, including the films “A Raisin in the Sun,” in which she recreated her stage role as a suffering housewife in the projects, and “Edge of the City.” She played both roles opposite Sidney Poitier. During the 1960s, Dee appeared in such politically charged films as “Gone Are the Days” and “The Incident,” which is recognized as helping pave the way for young African-American actors and filmmakers.

Most recently, Dee appeared in “Do the Right Thing” (1988, directed by Spike Lee) and “Baby Geniuses” (1999). In 1998 Dee published a collection of writings, “My One Good Nerve.” In 2000 she and Davis published their autobiography, “With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together.”
Throughout their careers, Dee and her husband Ossie Davis were well-known civil rights activists. Among others, Dee is a member of Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the NAACP, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Dee and Davis were personal friends of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, with Davis giving the eulogy at the latter's funeral in 1965.

Dee has been nominated for eight Emmy Awards, winning once for her role in the 1990 TV film Decoration Day. She was nominated for her television guest appearance in the China Beach episode, "Skylark." Her late husband Ossie Davis (1917-2005) also appeared in that episode.

In 2007 the winner of the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album was tied between Dee and Ossie Davis for With Ossie And Ruby: In This Life Together, in which they discuss their political activism as well as insights on their open marriage, and a book read by former President Jimmy Carter.

She has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2007 for her portrayal of Mama Lucas in American Gangster. She won the SAG award for the same performance. At 83 years old, Dee is currently the second oldest nominee for Best Supporting Actress, behind Gloria Stuart who was 87 for her role in “Titanic.” This was Dee's first nomination. It was also significant in that hers is the second shortest performance (at approximately five minutes) ever to be nominated for an acting Oscar, following that of the cameo appearance of Sylvia Miles in “Midnight Cowboy.”

She also appeared in one episode of the Golden Girls' sixth season, and has been a star of stage and screen since her 1946 Broadway debut in Anna Lucasta, appearing hundreds of times in plays, movies and television shows, frequently co-starring with her husband, actor Ossie Davis.

Dee grew up in Harlem and graduated in 1945 from Hunter College with degrees in French and Spanish, and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Inc. She made several appearances on Broadway before receiving national recognition for her role in the 1950 film The Jackie Robinson Story.

In the past, the Black Documentary Collective has held panels that included Ian Bricke, Director, Acquisitions & Programming, Sundance Channel; Erica Branch-Ridley, Emmy award winning Director and Executive Producer of Broadband Production and Content Development, TVland.com and Nick-at-Nite.com; Anthony Chapman, Director of Interactive and Broadband, Thirteen/WNET; Shayla Harris, award-winning video journalist reporter on local, national and international stories, NYTimes.com; Debra Zimmerman, Executive Director, Women Make Movies (the largest distributor of films by and about women in the world); and Warrington Hudlin, Founder & Executive Director, DV Republic

The commendation is jointly sponsored by Council members Rosie Mendez, chair of the housing committee, and Helen Sears, chair of the women’s issues committee. The special commendation came after the two received e-mails from many in the entertainment community supporting the plan, including Taye Digs, Diana Taylor, Spike Lee, Bill Cosby, Kerry Washington, David Alan Grier, Matthew Broderick, Drew Barrymore, Diane English, Nathan Lane, Sean Puffy Combs, Virginia Fields, Tracy Morgan, Dave Chappelle, ex-pat David Sedaris, and others.

Dee, who currently lives in New Rochelle, New York, was inducted into the Westchester County Women’s Hall of Fame on March 30, 2007 joining the ranks with past honorees, Hillary Clinton, Sally Ziegler and Nita Lowey.