CICLEY TYSON
By Dominic Nicoscia

There is certainly more to life than being the wife of jazz legend Miles Davis. For the illustrious Cicely Tyson, there is much more. How much? Well aside from overcoming abject poverty and exceeding all expectations of her Carribean immigrant parents while simultaneously establishing The Dance Theatre of Harlem with Arthur Mitchell, not that much. But wait. There was that time in her life when she sported a slew of successful television and film roles including the groundbreaking Roots, Sounder and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman, for which she won an Emmy. This, along with growing up against the cutthroat bigotry of urban New York and finally being married to the brilliant yet self-obsessed and substance-addicted trumpet player make Cicely one of the stoic and determined women in modern entertainment; armed with scruples that are not likely to be questioned when informed of her unwillingness to play anything but strong black women on screen. With this being the unwavering convention and the hallmark of her career, it’s a wonder they don’t find a way to make Cicely Tyson play…well…Cicely Tyson in her own biopic.

Since her birth in 1933, Tyson has proven that anything can be overcome and turned around to serve you rather than hurt. She is a true artist, one who embraces her community and roots and exhibits her integrity with each role she takes on. And so, while it is an important chapter in her life-one that certainly illustrates her character and resolve, her tumultuous relationship with Davis is but a footnote in her storied and substantial legacy.

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