Meet Sidney Poitier's Dinner Guests

Betsy from Skokie, Illinois, says Sidney's story spoke to her about her own possibilities, especially about her career and her marriage.

A devoted fan of Sidney Poitier's since childhood, Betsy says two movies influenced her life. "First, he made such an impression on me in To Sir, with Love, that I vowed I would become a teacher and touch kids' lives—and I did," Betsy writes. "Then, his work touched my own life again in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and at the age of 38, I married a man nearly as dignified and with almost as much 'presence' as Mr. Poitier himself—my husband, John Lane Jr. He's black, I'm white, yet lucky for us our parents were all immediately supportive of our relationship. What was obvious to everyone was how similar John and I are underneath our skin, where things really count."