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. It is me, plain and unvarnished, with the glitter and garland set aside. In these pages, I am indeed Cicely, the award-winning actress who has been blessed to grace the stage and screen for six decades. Yet I am also the church girl from Harlem who once rarely spoke a word. I am the teenager who sought solace in the verses of the old hymn for which this book is named. I am a daughter and a mother, a sister and a friend. I am an observer of human nature and the dreamer of audacious dreams. I am a woman who has hurt as immeasurably as I have loved, a child of God divinely guided by his hand. And here in my ninth decade, I am a woman who, at long last, has something meaningful to say." -Cicely Tyson

• A Black History Masterpiece: More than a memoir, this is a vivid, first-person account of a life that shaped American culture, from the streets of Harlem to the heart of the Civil Rights Movement.
• An Inspirational Memoir of Faith and Perseverance: Discover the story of the quiet church girl who found her voice and became a legendary actress, guided by her faith through a life where she "hurt as immeasurably as I have loved."
• Six Decades of an Iconic Career: Go behind the scenes of a trailblazing, six-decade career on stage and screen, from the roles that defied stereotypes to the moments that defined a generation.
• Plain and Unvarnished Truth: In her own words, offered in her ninth decade, Cicely Tyson sets aside the glitter and garland to share her story with raw honesty and profound wisdom.