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Dartmouth College Office of Public Affairs • Press Release
Posted 04/22/08 • Media Contact: Genevieve Haas • (603) 646-3661
Cicely Tyson
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Actress
In 1962, Cicely Tyson became the first black actress to co-star in a television drama series, East Side-West Side. It was in the role of George C. Scott's secretary, Jane, that Tyson set the "natural hair" trend by daring to wear her hair in its natural state and in so doing challenged the soul of African Americans to recognize the beauty in their own hair. In the role of Rebecca, her character in the feature film Sounder, she received an Oscar nomination
Tyson has received numerous Emmy nominations and received an Emmy for her performance in the role of Castalia in "The Oldest Confederate Widow Tells All;" an Ace award for the TV docudrama on Watts, "Heatwave;" and two Emmys for her performance as Jane, the title character in "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman."
Tyson also appeared in the films "A Woman Called Moses;" "The Marva Collins Story;" "The Women of Brewster Place;" "Blessed Assurance;" Fried Green Tomatoes; King; "Mama Flora's Family;" and "A Lesson Before Dying." Additional recognition of her talent have come from The National Council of Negro Women, PUSH, SOLO, CORE, The Martin Luther King Center and a record 13 Image awards from the NAACP. Tyson's latest films, Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Because of Winn-Dixie debuted in first and third place on the list of highest grossing movies of the week. In 1994, Tyson co-starred in the TV drama series Sweet Justice and in 1997, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Tyson has served as World Ambassador for UNICEF and is currently involved with Save The Children. She is a co-founder of The Dance Theater of Harlem. She also co-chaired the first and second National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta with Harry Belafonte.
During Nelson Mandela and his wife's first visit to America, Tyson served as mistress of ceremony for a tribute to Winnie Mandela and was asked to speak at the Tribute to Nelson Mandela in Los Angeles
During the 1988 economic summit of world leaders in Texas, Tyson was selected by President Bush, Sr. to serve as mistress of ceremony. She was invited by President Carter to perform for President Shagari of Nigeria at a White House dinner and has served on the Kennedy Center Honors Board since his administration. In 2001, Tyson was asked to serve as mistress of ceremony for President Clinton's "Welcome to Harlem." She also served as emcee for the Democratic National Committee's "A Night at the Apollo" fund raiser for voter registration.
In 2003, Cicely Tyson was appointed Commissioner of the National Museum of African History and Culture to be located in Washington, D.C. by President George W. Bush.
On November 3, 1996, the New Jersey Board of Education unanimously voted to change the name of a public middle school to the Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts. Within a year it was expanded to a high school.
Tyson is a founding member of CHAA (Coalition for a Healthy and Active America), FuturePac, an organization dedicated to raising funds to support women with political aspirations, and spokesperson for the anti-smoking organization the American Legacy Foundation.
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