Bill Text: NY J00347 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Mourning the death of Cicely Tyson, legendary actress, civil rights champion and powerful symbol of the Black is Beautiful Movement

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-02-09 - ADOPTED [J00347 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-J00347-Introduced.html

Senate Resolution No. 347

BY: Senator BENJAMIN

        MOURNING  the  death  of  Cicely  Tyson, legendary
        actress, civil rights champion and  powerful  symbol
        of the Black is Beautiful Movement

  WHEREAS,  It  is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor and pay
just tribute to the memory of those prominent individuals whose creative
talents have contributed to the entertainment and cultural enrichment of
the citizens of the State of New York; and

  WHEREAS,  Cicely  Tyson,  a  beloved  actor  of  stage,  screen  and
television, died on Thursday, January 28, 2021, at the age of 96; and

  WHEREAS,  In  an extraordinary career spanning seven decades, Cicely
Tyson was known for her portrayals of strong African-American women; she
was the recipient of  three  Primetime  Emmy  Awards,  four  Black  Reel
Awards,  one  Screen  Actors  Guild  Award,  one Tony Award, an honorary
Academy Award, and a Peabody Award; and

  WHEREAS, Cicely Tyson was born to Fredericka (Huggins)  and  William
Augustine Tyson on December 19, 1924, in Harlem, New York; and

  WHEREAS,  As  a young model, Cicely Tyson took her first acting part
on the television series "Frontiers of Faith" in  1951,  and  her  first
film  role  in  "Carib Gold" in 1956; she broke barriers when she became
the first  African  American  to  star  in  a  television  drama,  "East
Side/West Side" from 1963-1964; and

  WHEREAS,  Cicely  Tyson's first starring role on stage was Stephanie
Virtue Secret-Rose Diop in The Blacks, which  was  the  longest  running
off-Broadway  non-musical of the decade, running for 1,408 performances;
and

  WHEREAS, Throughout the 1960s, Cicely Tyson built her acting  resume
appearing in numerous movies, television shows, and plays; and

  WHEREAS, In 1972, Cicely Tyson took on the role of Rebecca Morgan in
the  critically  acclaimed  film  "Sounder", which she was nominated for
both the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, and  won
the NSFC Best Actress and NBR Best Actress Awards; and

  WHEREAS,  Cicely  Tyson  continued her award-winning streak when she
played the lead in the television film "The Autobiography of  Miss  Jane
Pittman"; for her portrayal of the centenarian, she was the recipient of
the  Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a
Movie and an Emmy Award for Actress of  the  Year  -  Special,  and  was
nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role; and

  WHEREAS,  In  the  later  1970s,  Cicely  Tyson was nominated or won
awards for well-known television  roles  which  included  Binta  in  the
miniseries  "Roots,"  Coretta Scott King in the miniseries "King", Marva
Collins in the television film "The Marva Collins Story," and Muriel  in
the television film "Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story"; and

  WHEREAS, Throughout the next few decades, Cicely Tyson continued her
prolific  career  appearing in numerous television programs such as "The
Women  Of  Brewster  Place,"  "Sweet  Justice,"   and   "Oldest   Living
Confederate  Widow  Tells  All,"  for  which she received her third Emmy
Award, and "A Lesson Before Dying"; and

  WHEREAS, Cicely Tyson also appeared in notable feature films such as
"Fried  Green  Tomatoes,"  "Hoodlum,"  "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," and
"The Help," which won the Broadcast Film Critics Association  Award  for
Best  Acting  Ensemble and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding
Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture; and

  WHEREAS, Cicely Tyson's theater career also continued  to  flourish;
on June 9, 2013, Tyson won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for
her  performance  as  Miss Carrie Watts in The Trip to Bountiful, making
her the oldest recipient of this prestigious award;  she  was  also  the
recipient  of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play and
the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play; and

  WHEREAS, At the age of 90, Cicely Tyson took on the role of  Ophelia
Harkness  in  "How  to  Get  Away  with Murder," and was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series  in
2015,  2017,  2018,  2019,  and 2020; most recently, she appeared in the
Netflix movie, "A Fall From Grace"; and

  WHEREAS, With style and dignity, Cicely  Tyson  truly  served  as  a
superlative illustration of the resolute spirit and bravery of the Black
men and women who paved the way for future generations; and

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
the lives of those extraordinary actors of world renown who enriched the
lives  of  others  through their artistic endeavors; such an actress was
Cicely Tyson, whose extraordinary and  innovative  career  will  forever
live  in the hearts of many and continue to inspire generations to come;
now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death  of  Cicely  Tyson,  legendary  actress,  civil rights
supporter and symbol of the Black is Beautiful Movement;  and  to  offer
sincerest  condolences  to her fans, friends, and family members; and be
it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Cicely Tyson.
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