Narrative Script Cicely Tyson Indiana Black Expo 2011 Living Legend Award

Cicely Tyson was born and was raised in Harlem, New York by her Caribbean parents Theodosia and William who were emigrants from the island of Nevis of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. While modeling in a hairstyle show she was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony magazine and, with her stunning looks, she quickly rose to the top of the modeling industry. In 1957, she began acting in Off- Broadway productions. She made her stage debut in the YMCA production of the Dark of the Moon, and her first film was an unaccredited role that same year in Carib Gold with Ethel Waters. She had small roles in feature films before she joined the cast of The Guiding Light, becoming one of the first black actresses to win a regular role on a soap opera. In 1972, Tyson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her sensational performance in the critically acclaimed film Sounder. She won Emmys for her portrayal of a 110-year-old former slave in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and for her magnificent performance in the Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All. In 1981 Tyson was married to acclaimed jazz musician Miles Davis. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. On May 17, 2009, Tyson received an honorary degree from Morehouse College, an all-male college. The Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts, a magnet school in East Orange, New Jersey, was renamed in her honor. She plays an active part in supporting the school, which serves one of New Jersey's most underprivileged African-American communities. While Cicely has not appeared steadily onscreen because of her loyalty to only portray strong, positive images of Black women, she is without a doubt one of the most talented, beautiful actresses to have ever graced the stage and screen.

Cicely Tyson, Philanthropist and American Icon, is the 2011 Living Legend Award winner.