Industry legend, Cicely Tyson passed away at age 96, 3 days before the start of black history month. Who would have ever known that Cicely, a woman born in Harlem, NY would pass away in a place of the same name but in a different country (Haarlem, Netherlands) ? Cicely dedicated most of her life to the film, television and performance arts industries. Stalwart in disposition, whenever you saw Cicely, you knew she’d always have a wise or funny word to offer. Cicely was actively promoting her newly published book, “Just As I Am: A Memoir” before she suddenly died.
Cicely lived an accomplished long life with major triumphs and achievements. She was awarded a long overdue Academy Award, Black Reel Awards, Emmy Awards, a Tony award, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Spingarn Medal, a SAG award, numerous NAACP Awards as well as many others. On her path towards stardom, she encountered significant challenges of racism, spousal abuse and harassment. She refused to take on acting positions that were stereotypical of African Americans in the 1960s and 70s and would only acquaint herself with roles that fit her ideals and values.
Now matter how old Cicely became, she always remained radiant and beautiful. It’s no surprise that Cicely maintained a vegetarian diet for most of her life. She could be heard attributing her good health to a vegetarian diet. It was the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. that led her to embark on a life of vegetarianism. The turn towards vegetarianism was a deep one for her. Seeing the dead flesh of a human being assassinated made her want to give up meat. She was very forward when discussing her adoption of a vegetarian lifestyle in an interview that she completed with Kelly and Ryan two weeks ago. Cicely’s lifestyle shined through as she graced red carpets in stunning and daring looks, never one to shy away from the camera! This woman did not look a day over 70!
We don’t yet know Cicely’s cause of death but one thing is sure and that is—she lived a very long time. She once said, “If I’m gonna be here for a long time, I want to be well.” Cicely never retired and was always on the go. There was no stopping her, which is why even at her age, people are alarmed about her death.
When she was asked by Gayle King, if she thought about death, she exclaimed, “Of course I think about death but I feel as long as you’re still breathing, you still have work to do.”
The Green News Guide celebrates the life of Cicely Tyson! thankfully, she was able to gift us with an amazing body of work that will live on in the hearts, minds and ears of all who will cherish it.
Rest in glory, Ms. Cicely Tyson!
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