The Christian Faith of Actress Cicely Tyson, Viewing to be Held at Abyssinian Baptist Church Feb. 15 & More…

Hello World,

I find it profoundly mysterious that two days after beloved, award-winning actress and my Delta sorority sister Cicely Tyson released the lone book that she penned about her life and life’s work, the Lord took her from the earthly realm to the heavenly realm. It was as if to say now that her life and life’s work were chronicled in her memoir Just As I Am (the title taken from the heralded hymn that inspired her as a teenager), there was nothing left to be or to do. She was blessed to live 96 years and had the strength to work up until the very end as she was promoting her memoir in various interviews. While many of us were likely familiar with much of her work from Roots to The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman to various Tyler Perry movies to How to Get Away With Murder to most recently Cherish the Day (and this is just a sampling of her work), I, for one, was not aware of her Christian faith that sustained her throughout her life. But her pastor Rev. Calvin Butts III of the well-known Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City, where her public viewing will be held on on Monday, Feb. 15 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) was keenly aware of her Christian faith. Below are a few excerpts from Cicely Tyson’s Pastor Remembers her Faith as Family Announces Public Viewing by Leonardo Blair of The Christian Post.

“She had a place in our church where she would sit. She bought that pew in memory of her mother. We don’t sell pews so that people can sit in them, but she donated to our church and she asked that when she was here if she could sit there, and of course, we agreed.

“But she would come to church often and you wouldn’t even know she was here. She would not be spectacular as she can be, she would just sit in the back and worship God. She was here every Sunday when she could be when she wasn’t working, traveling. She was a good member,” he said. “I believe she is enjoying the peace of Heaven. Cicely Tyson will be missed. Our hearts are broken and we are saddened, but she lived a triumphant life. She was God’s gift to us.”

Cicely Tyson’s family circa 1927, from left: her father, William; sister, Emily; mother, Fredericka; brother, Melrose, whom the family called Beau; and Cicely, age 2. | CREDIT: COURTESY CICELY TYSON

Additionally, she spoke on Women’s Day on March 11, 2018 at Abyssinian Baptist Church about growing up in church, where her family attended “Sunday morning till Saturday night.”

“We attended church like Sunday, I played the organ, I taught Sunday school, I had evening service. Monday we had young people’s meeting, Tuesday, old people’s meeting,” she said to another burst of laughter.

“Wednesday, we gathered together to try to introduce young children to the way of God. Thursday, we had club meeting. Friday, I sang and rehearsed in the choir and Saturday, we cleaned the church. I decided at one point that if I ever lived to become a woman I would never enter the portals of church again. And here I am standing in the pulpit of one of the biggest churches in the world,” she said to applause.

To read the entire article, click HERE.

Additionally, below is a link to watch Cicely Tyson’s Barnes & Noble interview with Tyler Perry, who had a mother and son relationship:


Here are a few key moments from the interview:

  • Tyler Perry asked Tyson when she was going to write her memoir for years. And for years, she would reply, “When I have something to say.” See 5:33 of the video.
  • How her breakthrough role as Rebeccca in “Sounder” led to the arresting cover image on her memoir. While doing promotional work for the movie in London, she was photographed by Lord Snowden, who asked if she would allow him to take pictures of her for his collection. The photograph, which she didn’t see at the time, was sent to Arthur Mitchell, a ballet dancer and her close friend, as a gift from Snowden to Mitchell. When Mitchell passed, the photograph which was hung above his headboard for years, was given to Tyson. She was “stunned” as she had not seen it before. When she saw it, she said, “That will be the cover of my book.” See 6:58 of the video.
  • When she was 31 years old and in an acting class, she was sexually assaulted by the teacher Paul Mann! “He grabbed me by my hair and pulled me down, and we fought like cats and dogs. I was finally able to free myself from him, and he was left with a handful of my hair in his hand.” See 11:00 of the video.

And as a 47-year-old woman, the fact that she didn’t get her proverbial “big break” until she was 48 years old was inspiring. See an excerpt of this Washington Post article Cicely Tyson, Actress who Gave Electrifying Portrayals of Resilient Black Women, dies at 96 by Adam Bernstein.

Ms. Tyson was a struggling actress at 48, when her fortunes turned seemingly overnight when she won a leading role in “Sounder.” She played a dirt-poor but proud woman trying to raise her son while her husband (Paul Winfield) is jailed for stealing meat to feed his family. Movie critic Roger Ebert called “Sounder” “simply told and universally moving” and singled out Ms. Tyson’s work for its nuance. “It is a wonder to see the subtleties in her performance,” Ebert wrote. “We have seen her with her family, and we know her strength and intelligence. Then we see her dealing with the white power structure, and her behavior toward it is in a style born of cynicism and necessity. She will say what they want to hear in order to get what she wants to get.” See the rest of the article HERE.

The world will certainly miss Cicely Tyson. But to be absent from this world is to be present with God. 

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Any thoughts?

Is Pastor Joel Osteen’s Star-Studded Easter Service (i.e. Kanye West, Mariah Carey & Tyler Perry) Appropriate This Easter?

Hello World,

By now, you may have have heard that Pastor Joel Osteeen, leader of one of the largest megachurches in the country Lakewood Church, has a lineup on Easter that is sure to bring the masses. Stars such as Kanye West and his Sunday Service Choir (how they gon social distance?), the Mariah Carey and hometown hero and media mogul Tyler Perry (Y’all heard how he blessed senior citizens with free groceries here in the A & Nola, right?) will be in the house for the online service! While I love all three of these celebrities (well, at this point, my opinion of Kanye is fluid…), I wonder if the celebrity approach is the move on THIS Easter…

I don’t know about you, but this will be the first time that I know about that I haven’t darkened the threshold of a church building on Easter Sunday. Although this will be the fourth Sunday I think I haven’t been in church since the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to quarantine at home, I’m still struggling with it. And this Easter Sunday, I don’t just want to do Bedside Baptist as what is becoming normal. I need a way to celebrate the resurrection of my Lord and Savior that feels befitting of the occasion. I need a WORD from some pastors who know the Lord in special way that can give me some divine strength to continue walking by faith during this strange season. God bless celebrities, but their star power isn’t the power that I need…But at the same time, I recognize that stars may be seeking strength as well and whatever shine they may get from this appearance may be secondary to their need of the Son to shine…

One of my Facebook friends pointed out that the names of the stars are larger than than the word Easter and that Jesus is not mentioned at all on the flyer. She is calling the service “Eastertainment.”

What say you? Will you be tuning on Sunday? How you will celebrate Easter at home?

Any thoughts?

BET+ & Tyler Perry Studios Set March 19 Premiere Date For New Original Drama, ‘Tyler Perry’s Ruthless’

Hello World,

BET+ announced the new original drama from Tyler Perry, “Tyler Perry’s Ruthless,” will premiere Thursday, March 19, 2020, exclusively across all platforms the service is available. Three episodes, of the 24-episode one-hour drama, will be available to stream with new episodes launching every Thursday. “Tyler Perry’s Ruthless” is the first new original series from Tyler Perry to stream on BET+, a joint venture between BET Networks and Tyler Perry Studios. The series continues BET+’s mission to deliver a spectrum of original and compelling stories.

“Tyler Perry’s Ruthless,” a spin-off of the hit television series “Tyler Perry’s The Oval,” tells the riveting story of a woman named Ruth who kidnaps her young daughter to join her in the dark underworld of a fanatical religious cult. “Tyler Perry’s Ruthless” stars Melissa L. Williams, Matt Cedeño, Lenny D. Thomas, Yvonne Senat Jones, Baadja-Lyne Odums, Jaime Callica, Nirine S. Brown, Blue Kimble, Stephanie Charles, Hervé Clermont, Anthony Bless, and Bobbi Baker.

“Tyler Perry’s Ruthless” is executive produced, written, and directed by Tyler Perry. Michelle Sneed will also serve as Executive Producer of the series for Tyler Perry Studios.

For more information about “Tyler Perry’s Ruthless” and BET+ visit the network’s official page at BET.com, and join the conversation on social on the show’s official channels @JoinTheHighest (Instagram:Twitter).

Any thoughts?