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Cicely Tyson
Actress & Presidential Medal of Freedom laureate
For sixty years she chose only roles that dignified Black women — turning down paycheques, turning down stereotypes, and building one of the most principled careers in American acting.
The rise
The daughter of Nevisian immigrants in Harlem, Tyson was discovered by a fashion photographer and began modelling before turning to acting. She studied at the Actors Studio and appeared on stage and television through the 1960s. Her breakthrough came with Sounder (1972), earning her an Oscar nomination, and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), which won two Emmy Awards.