Louis Gossett Jr., the actor who blazed a trail in two hits “Roots” and “An Officer and a Gentleman,” died at the age of 87 in Santa Monica, CA . He was the first-ever black male actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role . With this achievement, he broke into Hollywood but throughout his career managed to be humorous and stoic about racism . Gossett was born to act – from Broadway to big screen his talents were unquestionably gifted. Unfortunately, accompanied by subsequent addiction and disease, but by no means affecting the laurels of a pioneer. Fortunately, he left a vast filmography and the Eracism Foundation, fighting statement racism heritage