The legendary actress died on Jan. 28.
Published February 16th
Hundreds of admirers of the legendary actress and activist Cicely Tyson had a chance to say their final goodbyes in Harlem on Monday.
According to the New York Post, on Feb. 15, hundreds gathered to view the award winning icon at the Abyssinian Baptist Church. Masks and social distancing were required by the family, and photographs were not allowed.
Hundreds of mourners lined up in Harlem to pay respects to award-winning actress Cicely Tyson, who died last month at 96.
Some visitors came from as far as Atlanta and Los Angeles. The pioneering actress refused to play roles that were demeaning to Black women. pic.twitter.com/3WpTM6PANI AJ+ (@ajplus) February 15, 2021
Bill and Hillary Clinton attended the private memorial service at Harlem s Abyssinian Baptist Church Tuesday
Actor and director Tyler Perry, gospel singer Bebe Winans and Valerie Simpson of the duo Ashford & Simpson were also reportedly in attendance for the nearly three-hour service
The memorial came one day after hundreds of admirers flocked from as far as Atlanta and Los Angeles to pay their respects in a public viewing
Tyson had been a member of the church for three decades and had bought a pew and named it after her mom
The Harlem native died January 28 at the age of 96, days after she released her new memoir Just As I Am
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.
Tyson famously took an acting hiatus in the late 1960s in protest of the rise in blaxploitation movies that featured racist stereotypes. She revived her career in 1972, starring as Rebecca Morgan in the movie
Sounder, which earned her an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Tyson also earned critical acclaim in 1974 for playing the title role in
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, a television film that earned her two Emmy Awards and a BAFTA nomination. And in 1977 she co-starred in the miniseries
Roots.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman, 2006 s
Cicely Tyson Dies: Pioneering ‘Sounder’ Oscar Nominee & ‘Autobiography Of Miss Jane Pittman’ Emmy Winner Was 96 Deadline 1/29/2021
How to Get Away with Murder, died today. She was 96. Click on the picture above for a photo gallery of her career.
Tyson’s manager Larry Thompson confirmed the news but did not provide details of her death.
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“I have managed Miss Tyson’s career for over 40 years, and each year was a privilege and blessing,” Thompson said in a statement. “Cicely thought of her new memoir as a Christmas tree decorated with all the ornaments of her personal and professional life. Today she placed the last ornament, a Star, on top of the tree.”