Cicely Tyson, the legendary American actress, and fashion model breathed her last yesterday at the age of 96. Born on December 19, 1924, her career spanned over seven decades yearning her accolades from all over the world. Tyson’s manager Larry Thompson announced the news of her sad demise but did not mention the cause of her death.
Cicely Tyson rose to fame with her staggering performance in “Sounder” which got her an Oscar nomination, and “Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” which got her first Emmy Award. Cicely Tyson was given an honorary Oscar award to celebrate her work in Hollywood.
Tyson’s sad demise comes after a day of her memoirs getting published. Titled, JUST AS I AM, HarperCollins published it, and she had expressed her gratitude towards them. Tyson got nominated for an Emmy Award a record 16 times, winning three times. She was the first black actress to win an Emmy Award in the Lead Actress category.
Tyson was a pioneer in Hollywood. She was committed to representing black women positively only, on the celluloid. In 1977, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers’ Hall of Fame. President Barack Obama gave Tyson the nation’s highest civilian award i.e. the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 to acknowledge her contributions to the arts and film genre. Along with various awards and accolades, Tyson also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She had fans all over the world. Her death has grieved many causing an outpour of tributes and condolences across Hollywood and beyond. A cherished icon, she was mourned by Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, Rihanna, Amanda Gorman, Tyler Perry among others.
Tyson married jazz legend Miles Davis, but it ended in divorce. Apart from the movies, her work was recognized all over the world for taking a stance in representing black people in a positive manner. She was honored by Congress with an award for racial equality. She was also honored by the National Council of Negro Women.
She passed away peacefully on Thursday, leaving behind thousands of mourners who will remember her forever, for her remarkable work.
