Sidney Poitier's daughter has praised her dad for "changing the landscape for everyone who came after him"

In a lengthy statement on Instagram, she wrote: "There are no words for this. No real way to prepare for this. No prose beautiful enough, no speech eloquent enough to capture the essence of my dad.

"We know his accomplishments are many and that he quite literally changed the landscape for everyone who came after him.

"He blazed a trail through rough and hostile terrain so those coming behind him could have a bit more ease on the journey.

"So the people who claimed that this mountain was theirs and theirs alone would know that we belonged. That it was indeed our mountain too.

That we were coming and that we were staying."

While she also praised his "strength of character and moral fortitude", Sydney also wanted to tell people "how GOOD he was" too.

She continued: "I know people know he was good, but I don't think they know the depth of his goodness. That it permeated every cell of his being.

"The sort of goodness that prevented him from killing even the tiniest of bugs. NOT A ONE. I am a wizard at removing a spider with a shot glass and a piece of paper because of him.

"He had a deep reverence for all life, and a true awareness of our interconnectedness. He knew on a cellular level that if he hurt anyone or anything he hurt everyone and everything."

Sydney explained that while she is grieving over the death of her dad, her grief is "also because the world lost so much goodness".

She described him as a "warm and bright" lighthouse who "stood unwavering shining his light".

Reflecting on his last few years, she said: "We thought we were taking care of him. I see now that the truth is he was still taking care of us...

"He was reminding us, particularly in these uncertain times, of the power of GOODNESS. That even when the body is fading and things seem to be falling apart around us, the goodness remains."