Cicely Tyson, award-winning actor, dies at 96

We have breaking news that 96-year-old, oscar nominated, Cicely Tyson has passed away. Tyson’s death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson. “With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,” according to a statement issued through Thompson. Tyson gained fame in the early 1970's, when Black women were finally starting to get starring roles. She also won two Emmys for playing the former slave in the 1974 television drama “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” She was also one of the recipients for the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. At that ceremony, President Barack Obama said: “Cicely’s convictions and grace have helped for us to see the dignity of every single beautiful memory of the American family.”