Playwright, actor and director Ossie Davis has passed away at the age of 87. Davis, whose screen credits included “No Way Out”, “A Raisin In The Sun”, and the writing and direction of “Cotton Comes To Harlem”, was an outspoken opponent of the McCarthy-era witchunts, and was a noted activist in the U.S. civil rights movement.

In more recent years, Davis starred in several of Spike Lee’s films, including “School Daze”, “Do the Right Thing”, “Jungle Fever” and “Malcom X”.