Another classic to add to our bookshelves!
Legendary actress Cicely Tyson will be releasing a new memoir in 2021, Essence reports.
“Just As I Am” will detail the 95-year-old’s life, from her humble beginnings as a dancer to her iconic rise to fame and marriage to Miles Davis. She discusses her friendships with other Black cultural icons, including Arthur Mitchell, Maya Angelou, James Earl Jones, and Sidney Poitier, to name a few.
“Every one of my experiences on the public stage has been rooted in my upbringing, those years spent at my mother’s elbow and in the pews of my church,” Tyson said. “That was my world. And that foundation, that core, led me to a lifetime of growth – a wondrous journey that has made me who I am.”
Tyson has built a rich legacy, reinventing herself throughout the years and maintaining her relevance over nine decades. She will delve into her friendships with Whoopi Goldberg and Kerry Washington and the partnerships she has with present-day film vanguards like Oprah Winfrey, Shonda Rhimes, Ava DuVernay, and Viola Davis.
“At 95, I’m only beginning to fully understand my identity. The accolades, the lights, the glamour, and glitter – they’re all just ornaments on a tree,” Tyson said in a statement. “It is only a tree’s roots, its origins beneath the soil, that can reveal its entire story.”
“Just As I Am” is scheduled to be released on January 26, 2021. The memoir, written in collaboration with Michelle Burford, Oprah Magazine’s founding editor, will be distributed through HarperCollins.
Thank you, Ms. Tyson.
Photo Courtesy of Chelsea Lauren/Variety/REX