Cicely Tyson's Lawsuit Against Elizabeth Taylor Is The Least Dramatic Aspect Of Her Life
Even from the beginning, actress Cicely Tyson refused to tell anything less than an incredible and realistic story. Cicely wasn't just an icon of the screen, either; behind the scenes, Cicely wasn’t afraid to speak out for what she believed in, even if doing so meant putting her career, her relationship with her family, and her own well-being at risk. It's hard to accurately express the positive impact Cicely Tyson had on Hollywood, but you can trace her dedication back to a specific moment from early in her career...
A Girl with a Dream
Though Cicely Tyson was born smack dab in the middle of the Harlem Renaissance, her parents encouraged her to be realistic. As immigrants and blue-collar workers, they knew better than anyone how the world wasn’t kind to Black girls with big dreams.
Loved the Spotlight
So, a naturally-outgoing Cicely channeled her creativity into other activities, like singing in the church choir. She couldn’t help but be drawn to the cameras, though. Despite securing a stable typing job at 18, she gave it up for her big dream: modeling.
Becoming a Model
Cicely managed to evoke maturity and youthful energy all at once, and these qualities got her noticed. She got her break into the modelling world when a photographer from Ebony picked up on these coveted qualities. Though her career as a model was gaining steam, her home life was a different story.
Cicely's Difficult Choice
Her parents, particularly her mother, didn’t approve of her modeling dreams. “She thought that I was going to live in a den of iniquity because we grew up in the slums,” Cicely recently said in an interview with Gayle King. Cicely had to make a choice: jeopardize her relationship with her mom, or give up her lifelong dreams of being a star?
