Cicely Tyson is a force to be reckoned with, and the epitome of black excellence. When I learned she died and had published her autobiography, I felt guilty but eager to read it. One, because I knew she was an icon, but I didn’t quite grasp how impactful her legacy was. And two, because I had not watched any of her award winning films/shows/plays. That ends today.

Cicely speaks with so much poise and grace in her autobiography, and yet her charm and humor still shines through. She is an island girl (a pleasant surprise!) who survived the odds. She lived life with honor, piety, and humility. God lives within this woman. She started acting in her 30s in a society that looked down on black talent and black people, which goes to show you that she has always persevered and broken barriers. She fought for civil rights and fought against blaxploitation films that in her eyes tainted the narrative of black people. Her work shines through today, exemplifying the grace and dimensions that black people ---especially women - carry. Her acting career was inspiring to read but her personal story of her navigating family, love, and Christ shook me deeply to the core. 

This book  captured her essence perfectly, and I am so grateful to have read her autobiography. For six decades she's fed us powerful film and stage performances that sowed the seeds for modern actors black actors/actresses such as Kerry Washington, Viola Davis, Lynn Whitfield, Tyler Perry, Denzel Washington, and more. (I’m sure Elizabeth Taylor is rolling in her grave and regrets ever challenging this woman!!) I recommend listening to the audiobook as well - how she tells her experience is so riveting. She has the ebullience of a 40-50 year old woman. You can hardly guess she was in her early 90s narrating this! Cicely, I hope you’re doing well up there with your Maker. We love and cherish you from afar.