Cicely Tyson

Cicely Tyson (born December 19, 1933) is an award-winning African-American actress. Her parents came from the island of Nevis, but Cicely was born and raised in Harlem, New York. She was discovered by a photographer for Ebony magazine[?], and became a popular fashion model. Her first film was an uncredited role in Carib Gold[?] in 1957, but she went on to do television - the celebrated series East Side/West Side[?] and the soap opera Guiding Light.

In 1967, she appeared in The Comedians[?], and the following year, had a featured role in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter[?]. In 1972, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for Sounder.

In 1974 she won two Emmy Awards for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman[?], and became a star. Other acclaimed television roles included Roots, King[?], in which she played Coretta Scott King[?], The Marva Collins Story[?], When No One Would Listen[?] and Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All[?] (for which she won another Emmy).

Tyson co-founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem[?].