Just As I Am
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You can’t read the memoir of a wildly successful actress in her 90s and not give her 5 stars. Hot damn. Cicely Tyson was a powerhouse, and helped pave the way for future generations. She was born at the perfect time for a front row seat to a society in flux, sharing memories of the exact moment she hears Dr. Martin Luther King had been killed to her reaction to the death of Ahmaud Arbury all too recently. She balances heavy moments with lighter memories of how she got her start in acting and the various characters she met over her decades in the biz. I was surprised how frankly she shared some things, such as her off and on romance with Miles Davis.
As with any high quality memoir, I didn’t always agree with how much (or how little) Ms. Tyson was willing to share on various topics, and I didn’t always agree with her choices. But who am I to
judge? I’ve grown up in a different time, with different privileges. I have no idea what I would have done in her shoes, but I suspect I would not have done half as well. What I absolutely loved was her practical approach to combating racism and the uplifting of black women for how they survive and thrive day to day. The very last section of her book is dedicated to appreciating black women for all they have accomplished despite the constant obstacles thrown their way, and the acknowledgment that they shouldn’t have to deal with so much so often. As she writes, ‘When someone sees you headed in a direction, and that person throws a brick in the road, that is the precise moment to forge onward, with greater velocity, toward your destination.’
Cicely Tyson didn’t drink, so it felt wrong to pair her memoir with a cocktail. Instead I brewed up a strong cup of ginger tea. Comforting but with a serious kick, it seemed like the kind of drink she would have approved!
