Cicely Tyson, an icon of the stage and screen who broke barriers and shattered stereotypes for Black actresses, died Thursday at age 96.
In a statement released by her longtime manager Larry Thompson, her cause of death was not revealed.
Throughout her decades-long career, Tyson was awarded a Tony, Emmys, an honorary Oscar, as well as the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2016.
“In her long and extraordinary career, Cicely Tyson has not only exceeded as an actor, she has shaped the course of history,” said President Obama.
Tyson made leaps and bounds for improving Black representation on-screen by urging her fellow Black actors not to take parts that demeaned Black people. At times, this forced her and others to go without work.
“When I made the decision to use my career as my platform, to try to make a dent in some of these injustices that I witnessed and experienced in life,” Cicely told Time Magazine in 2019. “I said if I just reach one person, one person, then I will be happy.”
What struck me every time I spent time with Cicely Tyson was not necessarily her star power—though that was evident enough—it was her humanity. Just by walking into a room, she had this way of elevating everyone around her. pic.twitter.com/o6VAV63wqd
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 29, 2021
I’ll miss her dearly, but I smile knowing how many people she inspired, just like me, to walk a little taller, speak a little more freely, and live a little bit more like God intended.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 29, 2021
Tyson was born in East Harlem, New York City on December 19, 1924 and the daughter of immigrants from Nevis in the West Indies. Initially, Tyson’s mother had been against her acting, but Tyson’s curiosity got the best of her.
Since the 1950’s, Tyson has had acting roles in at least 90 movies and TV series with some of the most celebrated Black female characters known to date: “Sounder” (1972), “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” (1974), “Roots” (1977), “The Marva Collins Story” (1981), “The Road to Galveston” (1996) and “The Help” (2011), and some of her most recent work on “How to Get Away with Murder” (2015-2020).
I first saw Ms. Tyson in #Sounder. Then she showed us what resistance looked like as Miss Jane Pitman. From Roots through Miss Luma in @ava’s #CherishtheDay, she’s been the epitome of grace and excellence. As now an ancestor, Cicely Tyson is a spirit driving us all to greatness.
— Karen Hunter (@karenhunter) January 29, 2021
Cicely Tyson, groundbreaking award-winning actor, dead at 96 – ABC News https://t.co/zBgVmI0Sks
— sheryl lee ralph (@thesherylralph) January 29, 2021
At age 94, Tyson told Time Magazine she had no intention of retiring any time soon.
“We have to honor this blessed gift that we have. That’s what keeps you going. Keeps your mind fluid — your heart, your whole being,” she said. “You can’t just stop, because that will be the end of you.”
#CicelyTyson This is your story. Your song. Blessed Assurance. It’s what you gave us. A foretaste of glory!❤️ I love this video of you. A spectacular night. A spectacular life. Thank you for blessing us and for lighting way. I miss you already. So so much https://t.co/F73A9k9dT9
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) January 29, 2021
“I am the sum total of each of the women I have played,” she added. “That they were able to survive the times, and the way in which they did it, made me a stronger person and allowed me to truly believe that all things are possible.”
Tyson’s biography, Just as I Am: A Memoir, was released on Tuesday, two days before her passing.
