It had been a while since I’d read an autobiography. One of the biggest legends in the Black community, Cicely Tyson, passed away at the start of this year. On the day she died, I saw a tweet talking about her autobiography, and I ordered it immediately. Shortly after, I saw the news that she was no longer with us. As a young Black woman, I was devastated at the loss of one of our titans. However, I was also excited to read about her life–in her own words.
This book is about 400 pages long, and every single one of them is a page-turner. I was transported to 1920s New York, learning about her familial relationships, her *extremely* stubborn mother, and the breakdown of the family unit. I learned about her balancing of several jobs after becoming pregnant at 17, and how she was stopped on the street by a complete stranger who told her she should pursue modelling as a career. After overcoming self-doubt, one thing led to another. After countless movies, plays, and photoshoots, there is such an incredible legacy to look back on.
Two of the things that fascinated me the most about Cicely’s life was her relationship with musical legend, Miles Davis, and the fact that she didn’t really start to find her footing in acting until she was nearing 40. Let’s start with the romantic relationship, shall we?
Day to day, I don’t really pay much attention to celebrity relationships, but this one really sat with me. Despite being a known womanizer and heavy drug addict, Miles found his opposite in Cicely (who never did drugs or even smoked and a lifetime relationship with God). What baffled me about this was that despite her personal preferences and morals, she not only went back to this man after he cheated on her and married that same person, but that she chose to marry him years later. I feel like legally tying herself to Miles was a bad idea given the evidence at hand, but also, it was a different time. They were in their 50s by the time they married, as well, so I guess they were sure.
Now, onto the career path. I’m only in my late twenties, and there are days where I feel completely certain of my path, and others where I just want to throw in the towel and live off the grid… no in between. Reading Cicely’s story reassured me that it’s okay to not have everything figured out. It’s okay to switch gears. Nothing’s wrong with me if I don’t have it all locked down before thirty. That expression of open-mindedness really helped me to look at things differently, and it added so much to her life in general for me.
Overall, a very powerful read, especially for Black women–no matter your age. I’d rate it 9/10.
Khadijah Plummer Consulting 