RIP QUEEN CISELY , TO HARLEM HOLLYWOOD LEGEND

Cicely Tyson, an award-winning icon of the stage and screen who broke barriers for Black actresses with surpassing dignity, died Thursday January 28th, her longtime manager Larry Thompson confirmed to CNN. She was 96. A family statement did not reveal the cause of death. The actress chronicled her lengthy career in her first memoir, “Just As I Am,” that was just released Tuesday January 26th.

Tyson embodied African American women who demanded attention — and more than that, respect. She played former slaves, civil rights icons, sharecroppers, truth tellers, mothers and other complicated women — bringing a sense of depth, nobility and grace to every character. she said her most important accomplishment happened in 2016 when President Barack Obama awarded her the Medal of Freedom. During her career, she would win a total of three Emmy Awards out of 15 nominations. Tyson consciously embraced breaking boundaries. In her acceptance speech at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, she referenced the Langston Hughes poem “Mother to Son” to explain how she’d lived her life and career.

Thank you Cicely Tyson for all your legacy. Rest in great powe

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 08: Cicely Tyson attends a private reception to celebrate her honorary Oscar on December 8, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

 

 

By Alize Utteryn 01/28/2021

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