Cicely Tyson, who paved way for numerous Black actors on Broadway and in Hollywood, has died at the age of 96.
Tyson was a force in entertainment for decades, but in her early years she had few role models because there were few people of color who were at the top of the Hollywood game.
She won 2 Emmys for Lead Actress in 1974, for "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." The year before she was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for the movie "Sounder."
Tyson started her career as a model in NYC. She was on the
covers of Ebony, Jet, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, TMZ reports.
She also made her mark on Broadway and won a Tony for Best
Actress in a Play in 2013's "The Trip to Bountiful." That made her
the oldest recipient ever of a Best Actress Tony.
She was bestowed with a Presidential Medal of Freedom
award in 2016 by President
Obama, who said, "Cicely made a conscious decision not just
to say lines, but to speak out. Cicely's convictions and grace have helped for
us to see the dignity of every beautiful member of the American family, and
she's just gorgeous.”
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