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Dee, a renowned activist and an acclaimed actress on both stage and screen, died in her New Rochelle home in June. Her work spanned more than 50 years, from when she starred in “The Jackie Robinson Story” in 1950 to the Denzel Washington-driven “American Gangster” just seven years ago.
The actress, and her husband, playwright/actor Ossie Davis, were constantly raising the idea of social consciousness. In 1963, they served as masters of ceremony at the March on Washington and were awarded the Presidential Medial for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts in 1995.
The weekend honoring the Dee’s memory will kick off on Saturday, Oct. 4, with a screening of the film, “Naming No. 2,” in which the actress travelled to New Zealand to film. This is a unique opportunity for locals to see the film, which was never released domestically, although it won the 2006 Sundance Film Festival award.
The following day, a younger generation will have the opportunity to be introduced to “With Ossie and Ruby,” the PBS series that the couple co-hosted in the early 1980s. After the montage of clips from their show, the library will screen “Hands Upon the Heart,” a 90-minute film presenting more highlights from the series, with commentary from some of the nation’s greatest authors of that era.
The weekend will conclude with a second 6 p.m. viewing of “Naming No. 2.”
During her career, Dee won an Emmy, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild award for her work. At the time of her death, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson said that she was responsible for inspiring countless generations of Americans.
“In New Rochelle, we were privileged to see another side of Ruby, a woman of great personal warmth, who cared deeply for her neighbors. Ruby and her late husband, Ossie Davis, didn’t simply reside in New Rochelle, they were pillars of our community,” he said. “Ruby’s presence in New Rochelle has always been a source of pride to the people of our city."The
The Ossie Davis Theater is at the New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Library Plaza.
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