Viola Davis Praises Cicely Tyson in Honor of Peabody Career Achievement Award: ‘You Have Made It Possible for Girls Like Me’

Cicely Tyson was just honored for her 70-year career in the entertainment industry by Viola Davis, Oprah Winfrey and more celebs.

This week, the 95-year-old actress received the Peabody Career Achievement Award. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Tyson accepted the award from the comfort of her home. Still, that didn’t stop celebs from filming a tribute video in honor of the Fried Green Tomatoes star. (The clip was recorded a few weeks before the killing of George Floyd.)

The video features words of praise from a variety of celebrities, including Davis, who worked with Tyson on How to Get Away with Murder. She said, “You have made it possible for girls like me, even girls who are not girls of color, but especially Black girls, you’ve allowed us to be seen and you’ve allowed us to feel worthy.”

Winfrey also celebrated Tyson’s achievements, saying, “Cicely Tyson, throughout your incomparable career, you’ve chosen to bring to life women of hope, determination, grit and grace because that is who you are. So, I thank you for not just paving the way for me and every other Black woman who dared to have a career in entertainment, but being the way.”

Throughout her career, Tyson appeared in 94 movies and TV shows, including The Help, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Sounder, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and A Fall from Grace (to name a few). In 2018, she made history as the first Black woman to receive an honorary Oscar.

Talk about a well-deserved accomplishment.

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