Just as I Am

“In her long and extraordinary career, Cicely Tyson has not only succeeded as an actor, she has shaped the course of history.” –President Barack Obama, 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony
“Just as I Am is my truth.

Reviews

“The autobiography of Miss Cicely Tyson is a balm for the afflicted.” — New York Times“A parting gift to readers and chronicles an incredible life, lived fully.” — USA Today“This grand tale of her immense talent and desire to live out loud will resonate with anyone who has a dream.” — O, the Oprah Magazine"It’s in these poignant moments that the memoir becomes a resonant meditation on the link between an actress’s life and her art. This showstopping tale hits the mark." — Publishers Weekly“What shines most from the memoir is how Tyson’s story, while frankly written and supremely eye-opening, isn’t just her own. It’s also the story of Black women in America, of generations past, present and yet to come, whose wills to survive are divinely gifted and ancestrally guided.” — Washington Post"Tyson speaks with incisive clarity, humor, and moral authority…” — Booklist “If you’re ready for your next book, “Just As I Am” is the one to pick.” — Washington Informer“This book is Ms. Tyson’s abundant treasure to each of us: her life, in her words, just as she is. She shares truths usually whispered between close friends in the dim light of a back bedroom, those candid declarations not often spoken aloud. And she tells her story the way only a black woman can: in all of its dazzling authenticity, heels off and voice undulating, shifting between anguish and exuberance. The art of acting is the art of exposing, an emotional unveiling before others. Ms. Tyson is as revelatory on these pages as she has been on the stage."  — — Viola Davis, Academy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning actress and producer