Cicely Tyson has lived an illustrious life in her 95-years of living.
The actress won Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Drama and Actress of the Year – Special, as well as Best Actress in a Leading Role for her starring role in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman at the BAFTAs in 1974. 20 years later, she won her third Emmy for her performance in Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All. She continues to grace the small and big screen and now she’s ready to tell her story.
Essence reports that Tyson will chronicle her early career and relationships with important figures like Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Ossie, Ruby Davis, Richard Pryor, and James Earl Jones in an autobiography titled Just As I Am.
She will also recall moments with superstars like Maya Angelou, Nelson and Winnie Mandela, Aretha Franklin, and even Quincy Jones.
“At 95, I’m only beginning to fully understand my identity,” said Tyson in a statement obtained by Essence. “The accolades, the lights, the glamour and glitter—they’re all just ornaments on a tree. It is only a tree’s roots, its origins beneath the soil, that can reveal its entire story.”
“Every one of my experiences on the public stage has been rooted in my upbringing, those years spent at my mother’s elbow and in the pews of my church. That was my world. And that foundation, that core, led me to a lifetime of growth—a wondrous journey that has made me who I am.”
