(1) Raiford Chatman `Ossie' Davis was born on December 18, 1917, in Cogdell, Georgia, the eldest of 5 children, and died at the age of 87 in Miami, Florida, on February 4, 2005.
(2) A gifted actor, playwright, producer, screenwriter, director, and author, Ossie Davis was admired as a trailblazing entertainer and an unwavering advocate for social justice.
(3) Over a 50-year career, Ossie Davis portrayed the lives and times of African Americans in many memorable performances on stage, television, and film.
(4) Ossie Davis wrote numerous plays, books, and musicals that raised the Nation's awareness of the challenges faced by African Americans in this country, and highlighted the nobility of their cause.
(5) Ossie Davis portrayed positive and inspirational images of African Americans in their struggles under slavery and segregation, and served as a role model for future generations of American performers and artists.
(6) A steadfast voice for equality and social justice, Ossie Davis was an advocate for the dispossessed and disenfranchised through his performing arts, civic engagement, and public activism.
(7) Among his many noteworthy and acclaimed accomplishments, Ossie Davis wrote and starred in the theatrical production `Purlie Victorious', directed the movie `Cotton Comes to Harlem', and starred in the stage play `A Raisin in the Sun'.
(8) Ossie Davis and his wife of 56 years, Ruby Dee, were one of the most respected couples of the American entertainment industry, appearing together in several stage productions, television series, and movies, and producing `Countdown to Kusini', the first American feature film to be recorded entirely in Africa by black professionals.
(9) In recognition of his theatrical achievements, Ossie Davis received the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the National Medal of Arts awarded by the President, the Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild, and the Kennedy Center Honors, the most prestigious public recognition of an artist's lifetime contributions in the performing arts in the United States.
U.S. Congress - Text of H.R.4834 as Introduced in House Ossie Davis Congressional Gold Medal Act
