Ossie Davis, the imposing, deep-voiced actor and his wife and acting partner, Ruby Dee, helped to open doors and widen horizons for Black people on stage and screen.

They fought  zealously for Human Rights from Washington to Hollywood.

When the couple was honored at the Kennedy Center in December, 2004, Mr. Davis stated: "We knew that every time we got a job and every time we were onstage, America was looking to make judgments about all black folks on the basis of how you looked, how you sounded, how you carried yourself. So any role you had was a role that was involved in the struggle for black identification. You couldn't escape it."

Where they were married.

"We are in this together" 

On December 9, 1948, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee took the day off from rehearsals for the play, "The Smile of the World."

They rode a bus to Jersey City, New Jersey to be married by the Rev. Dr. William A. Epps, Sr., Pastor of the Zion Baptist Church.

Since then they have given many smiles to the world among many other major humanitarian contributions.

In demonstrating his concern and love for all of the families of humanity, Ossie Davis always remembered that "charity begins at home."
We are able to carry on because he has shown us the way.

Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee have introduced the entire planet to the real Black African-American family.

In gratitude we must continue his legacy.

"We are in this together" 

Photographs copyright © 2005-2011 by Stan Daniels, Editor,

Urban Cartographer Online

Visitation and Funeral Services

Were Open to the Public

NEW YORK, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- and Feb. 12 /ECMAP/ --

Funeral services for the late Ossie Davis, 87, noted writer, actor and activist, have been held. 

In keeping with the spirit of his life and his concern for humanity, both his visitation and funeral were open to the public.

The quiet, patient and dignified respect that thousands of people paid to Ossie Davis and his family reminded the Editor of the first free elections in South Africa. 

In both cases the people endured extremes of tempurature (heat in South Africa and cold in New York City) and cast their votes with their actions for champions of a legacy of true liberation. 

We must always remember and never forget! 

VISITATION:

Friday, February 11, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Abyssinian Baptist Church

132 W. 138th Street, Manhattan

FUNERAL:

Saturday, February 12, 12 Noon

Riverside Church

490 Riverside Drive, Manhattan

The presiding ministers at the ecumenical service were the Reverend James Forbes, pastor of Riverside Church, and the Reverend Calvin O. Butts III, pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church, where Mr. Davis was a member.

FAMILY REQUEST:

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in Mr. Davis's name to one or more of the following organizations:

Oxfam America, Sudan Crisis Relief Fund

P.O. Box 1211,

Albert Lea, Minnesota 56007-1211

EXCEL Institute

2266 25th Place, NE, Washington, D.C. 20018

Attn.: George Starke

WBAI Pacifica Radio

120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005

Attn.:  Mr. Bernard White

Today's Students/Tomorrow's Teachers

3 West Main Street, 2nd Floor, Elmsford, NY 10523

Attn.: Dr. Betty Perkins

NEWS SOURCES:

Earl G. Graves Publishing Co.,

ECMAP Network

More information is coming soon.

Please check back for updates. 

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we have more resources on the rest of our

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