From Hoodlum to Manhood (The Incarceration of Dexter Tyson)
(This book is a reflection of the author's introspective t...)
This book is a reflection of the author's introspective thoughts, from the impact of the sessions and is meant to give a deeper understanding of the questions that are asked. It's also an open testament of the author's guilt, his growth, and accountability for his past actions.
Cicely Tyson, an actress of Nevian heritage with a career extending over 40 years, has been recognized with numerous awards in her field. She is committed to portraying strong women and was nominated for an Oscar in 1972 for her performance in Sounder. Her more notable performances include roles in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968), Bustin' Loose (1981), The River Niger (1976), and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), in a catalogue of over 50 films.
Background
Tyson is the daughter of devoutly religious parents who emigrated from the island of Nevis. Her father, William, a carpenter and painter, periodically sold fruits and vegetables from a stand in order to make ends meet. The youngest of three children, Cicely Tyson was born on December 19, 1933 in New York City, Unites States.
Education
She grew up in Harlem in the 1950s, where she attended New York City public schools and graduated from Charles Evans High School in Manhattan. She came from a poor background, but was certain that she would succeed in life, a self-confidence that carried over into her acting career. Her parents separated when she was ten years old, and her mother, Theodosia, dedicated her life to her children, more so after the 1962 death of their father. Tyson and her siblings had a religious and strict upbringing, and were not allowed to watch films except when they were shown at Sunday school, where she sang in the choir and played the piano and organ.
Career
In the 1950s she was discovered working as a secretary at Ebony magazine and rapidly became a successful model, and then an actress. She studied at the Actor's Workshop, Actor's Studio, and New York University, and went on to small roles in many film and television productions including Twelve Angry Men (1957) and Odds Against Tomorrow (1959). During this time she received a Vernon Rice Award her performance in The Dark of the Moon. In 1961 she joined a groundbreaking group of black actors that included James Earl Jones, Maya Angelou, and Roscoe Brown, who appeared together in Jean Genet's The Blacks, a play that marked the beginning of avant-garde theatre. Her first real break was in 1963, playing George C. Scott's secretary on the TV series East Side/West Side; she became the first black actress to appear in a recurring role in a television series. In 1966 she signed on with the daytime soap opera The Guiding Light. In 1968, after having played small roles in a series of films, she was given her first major role, Portia, in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. However, it was her acclaimed 1972 Oscar-nominated performance in Sounder that made her a star.
In 1974 she earned two Emmy Awards for her convincing portrayal of a 110-year-old woman who was bona in slavery and lives to see the beginning of the civil rights movements in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Among her most memorable roles was Binta, the mother of slave Kunta Kinte, in the 1977 Roots miniseries. "Giving birth to Kunta Kinte was a forceful point in my career," said Tyson, who will only portray dignified, positive images of black women, while acknowledging the dearth of meaningful film roles that fulfill these requirement (Stoynoff 1998, 31). Alex Haley, author of Roots and a close friend of Tyson until his death in 1992, also wrote the script for Mama Flora, a two-part miniseries where Tyson played the title role and won an Image Award for her acting. In a 1997 interview with M. S. Mason she refers to the fact that since the beginning of her career her role as an advocate for civil rights was connected to her work. When confronted by what she perceived was racism toward blacks, particularly black women, she said, "There is something going on in this society that T need to address, and I will find a way in my career to address it".
Another of her great performances was that of Sipsey in the 1992 film Fried Green Tomatoes, which addresses such issues as battered wives, female friendship, the roles of women, and racism in the south. In 1994 she was the only black performer to win an Emmy Primetime Award, a year in which out of a field of 350 nominations, only 3 blacks were nominated. She won outstanding supporting actress for her role as Castalia in the miniseries Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All. The decrease in the numbers of awards given to black actors is a vital issue for Tyson. "There aren't any choices," she said in 1999. "In my time, I have been optimistic that we would be hired simply because of our ability. But we have to understand the fact that we're . . . constantly proving ourselves over and over. I live for the day when that will become obsolete". In 2002 she co-starred in the highly acclaimed drama The Rosa Parks Story.
Trustee Human Family Institute. Trustee American Film Institute. Member of Delta Sigma Theta (honorary).
Personality
Quotes from others about the person
One critic alluded to this in a review: "Cicely Tyson's considerable reputation as an actress on television and movies is primarily based on her ability to personify conviction under siege, as exemplified by her performances as such pioneering women as Miss Jane Pittman, Harriet Tubman, and Marva Collins".
Connections
Tyson has been married once, to legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis on November 26, 1981. The ceremony was conducted by Atlanta mayor Andrew Young at the home of actor Bill Cosby. Tyson and Davis resided in Malibu, California until their divorce in 1988, She has no children. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. On May 17, 2009, she received an honorary degree from Morehouse College, an all-male college.