Cicely Tyson (1924–2021)

Just as I am: A Memoir by Cicely Tyson is a 2021 HarperCollins publication.

Magnificent! A Real Class Act!

Much like Viola Davis, who wrote the foreward for this book, my appreciation for Cicely Tyson came via her role as Miss Jane Pittman. I had seen the movie 'Sounder' a few years prior, but after a few key years maturity, seeing the actress made up to look one hundred and ten years old, made an even bigger impression on me at the time. I never forgot that performance and made a concerted show more effort to catch as many of Cicely’s shows and movies as possible over the coming years.

Despite that, I knew next to nothing about Cicely’s personal life- other than she had once been married to jazz great Miles Davis. When Ms. Cicely started doing promos for this memoir, I immediately put in a pre-release hold on it at the library, so I would be one of the first people to get a copy. Literally one day after my hold came through, I heard the news that Cicely had died.

Under normal circumstances, I would have put the book on a back burner after such a devastating event, not wanting to appear ghoulish. But, since this was a library loan, I forged ahead. I had already finished reading the book when I noticed the audio version was available on Scribd- so, I decided to listen to it on audio too- and loved both versions.

Ms. Cicely tells her story her own unique way, which was not always on a chronological train of thought. Yet, it is organized and fluid enough the timeline switches aren’t as jarring as they might be ordinarily. It wasn’t a big deal most of the time, and I was able to adapt quickly.

Tyson stuck to her principles by not accepting stereotypical roles and lived by her deeply religious moral code. She dealt with harassment and racism, workplace demands, and personal challenges throughout her life but…

She was a strong woman, tenacious and dedicated, and unafraid to stand up for herself, especially as she matured. While that might have yielded her a ‘difficult’ reputation as an actress, in her private life she was less inclined to vocal protests, instead using her work, and speaking through the characters she portrayed as a statement- and I would say her statements were mighty powerful indeed!

Her tumultuous relationship with Miles Davis was probably the most difficult passages to read. Cicely knew him well, understood his inner demons, and tried her best to help him beat them. Her approach here is light, but it was obvious that living with addiction and numerous infidelities took a heavy toll, bringing to the surface a different side of Cicely I wasn’t quite sure she recognized in herself.

No person is perfect, and of course when reading a memoir there are moments when we wonder about certain choices or poor judgement calls, but overall, I think Cicely was loved and well respected, and a quiet presence of strength and inspiration to many. She was an incredible actress, always elegant exemplary- and like Obama stated- She was just gorgeous!

I truly mourned the passing of this legendary actress. She remained one of very favorite actresses nearly my whole life and that is not something I get to say very often.

It is no surprise then that her memoir is not only revealing, poignant, but a true triumph!

Borrowing from one of Cicely’s characters- ‘Sipsey’ in Fried Green Tomatoes- ‘A lady always knows when to leave’- and Ms. Cicely was most definitely a lady.

4.5 stars show less

This is an outstanding entry in the celebrity autobio genre, and how fortunate we are that it was released before Tyson's recent death. The focus here is on her relationships with her divorced parents and with her ex-husband, musician Miles Davis. Both of Tyson's parents, from the Caribbean island of Nevis, were extremely strong-willed influences. Her mother left her father due to his philandering when Tyson and her two siblings were young, and their financial struggles in Harlem were show more difficult, but as his favorite, she stayed close to her father. Harlem also nurtured her as she became a model and then went to an acting school run by Lloyd Richards, one of the fathers of Black theater. The choices Tyson made in her movie roles were stringent - she would not play a house cleaner or a prostitute, the primary roles offered in the '60s. The ones she accepted, in Sounder, Roots, Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, and The Trip to Bountiful - were all uplifting and influential on other actors coming up. Of course, she knew EVERYONE and shares stories full of warmth about them all (except Elizabeth Taylor, whom she sued!). Her relationship with Miles was one of mutual true love and devotion, but she could not repair all the damage he absorbed from racism and addiction. Every word rings true and as if you are sharing a conversation.

Quotes: "The Great Depression was given a name just to show that enough whites were suffering to warrant an official title."

"During a good year, to be Black is to live with an ongoing hum of anxiety, a static ever present beneath life's high notes. During a plague and a racial revolution, to be Black is to be rendered deaf by the uproar, knowing that if this virus doesn't take you down, a blue knee on your neck or bullets in your back just might. When you leave your house, you're never quite sure whether you'll make it back alive, and that is no exaggeration. In this country, Blacks don't have to go looking for trouble. It finds us."

"No one bothers to undermine you unless they recognize your brilliance." show less

#37. [Just as I Am: A Memoir], [[Cicely Tyson]]

I enjoyed this book but was also frustrated by it. It gives an interesting and honest accounting of the ups and downs in her life. An example being the abusive marriage between her parents, her father was a womanizer and it became violent when her mother could take no more, in the middle of the night, Cicely would be between her parents, crying, trying to stop the fight. Her own relationship with Miles Davis followed a similar pattern. However show more it was when she excused her father’s behaviour because his background came from slavery where Blacks were mistreated that I had a problem. Why do other men behave in the same fashion? I think it has more to do with power and guilt.

In other sections she talks about the poor Blacks as if they were the only immigrants to experience a hard life. What about the Irish, Italians, Poles and Spanish, to say nothing of the Jews? Each immigrant group left their families and home land under different circumstances and suffered for it. Africans were not given a choice, they were brought to North and South America as well as the Arab world to be slaves. It was much more drastic for them but that does not erase what happened to White immigrants. I capitalized White because, for the first time, I realized in reading this book that other ‘races’ were given that distinction but not Whites. Not in anything I have read.

Our experiences are the same and different but, as in the case of this book, more often separated in unusual ways. I am making a point of this because Tyson did, enough to make me think about more than one side of the immigration history. She talks about not having time to mourn her mother because Blacks have to go back to work to earn a living. This point is made in such a way that this reader thought she didn’t think it doesn’t happen to others, they have as much time as they want. This is not the case.

Tyson played some amazing, strong women in her career. She chose this as her way of protesting the life of Blacks in the United States. She did not carry banners and march in parades. She spoke through her art. One point she made was the few roles written for Black women actors. I am not a movie watcher so it is not something I had thought about before. In some cases I can see it making a difference, for example she portrayed Harriet Tubman and a maid in “The Help” roles that call for Black actors. On the other hand actors of different backgrounds have acted in Shakespeare’s work. Does the colour of the actor or the strength and experience they bring to a role matter more? I don’t know.

She earned many awards and honours for her acting as well as the work she did in promoting Blacks in this field. This included the Kennedy Honours and a special Oscar.

I found this book interesting but full of contradictions. It made me think of thinks that I am not sure Tyson expected. I don’t expect this to be accepted by all but I hope it makes you think when you read it. Which I think you should do.

Reviewed February 28, 2021

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 show less

A fascinating autobiography by Cicely Tyson - a trailblazing American actress who began acting in the 1940s and continued till she was in her 90s!

Beginning with her parents journey from the West Indies to her present day (at the age of 96), this memoir travels through Cicely’s life - her tumultuous childhood, rise to fame and legacy.

What I admire the most about her is that every role she chose was carefully chosen. In a time when actresses of colour had few roles to begin with, she not show more only considered her place in the story but how it would impact the perception of Black women in America. She refused anything that would play into negative tropes or stereotypes and instead carefully chose roles of depth and character. As a result, in addition paving the way for actresses of colour today, Cicely has won many awards including an Oscar, Emmy and Tony award.

Cicely is a force to be reckoned with and her story is awe-inspiring
I would recommend for all lovers of the arts and/or those who want to learn about groundbreaking and inspirational women. show less