Actress and civil rights activist Ruby Dee was memorialized Saturday in poetry, dance, and song at a packed Harlem cathedral where Alicia Keys sang "Superwoman," Wynton Marsalis performed a stirring trumpet solo, and greetings were sent from Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, and the White House. The three-hour celebration at cavernous Riverside Church honored the life of Dee, who died June 11 at age 91. She was called everything from a "small but mighty lady," to a "street-fighter," to the "voice of our humanity."
Eight actresses read sections of Dee's poetry and prose. Peter Yarrow, who had joined Dee at the 1963 March on Washington, sang a medley. Poet Sonia Sanchez delivered a feisty piece that blended word and song. Dee's awards included an Emmy, a Grammy, the NAACP Image Award, and Kennedy Center Honors. Her husband, actor Ossie Davis, died in 2005. - AP