Cicely Tyson Made TV History as the 1st Black Woman to Star in a TV Drama
Cicely Tyson was a ground-breaking actor whose career spanned over seven decades. The New York City native made a huge impact on the entertainment industry. One of Tyson’s early roles showed just how unwilling she was to be held back by the expectations of the past. On East Side/West Side, she made TV history — and it was just the beginning of her journey.
Cicely Tyson broke barriers on ‘East Side/West Side’
Tyson was already working as a model when she landed a role in a new CBS drama series in 1963. According to Insider, East Side/West Side featured Tyson as a secretary. While being an administrative assistant wasn’t groundbreaking, the fact that Tyson even appeared on the show was a big move forward.
Although it may seem unthinkable today, less than 60 years later, she was the first Black woman to star in a TV drama. Tyson was committed to breaking barriers, and she was reportedly also the first woman to wear her natural hair on TV.
Her trail-blazing ways were intentional. Tyson was determined to be a part of creating a different kind of representation as a Black actor. “We Black actresses have played so many prostitutes and drug addicts and housemaids, always negative,” she said in 1972. “I won’t play that kind of characterless role anymore, even if I have to go back to starving.”
About the record-breaking show
East Side/West Side was a good choice for Tyson because the series broke new ground in other ways, too. Television Heaven reports that the drama only ran for a year, but it impacted TV for a long time afterward.
One of the first series to be shot on location in New York City, East Side/West Side starred George C. Scott as a Manhattan social worker trying to meet the needs of people living in NYC slums. The topics were gritty and complex, dealing with controversial social issues.
For example, one episode called “No Hiding Place” told the story of a Black couple who moved into an all-white suburb. The resulting panic among the residents led them to sell their homes at a loss, a common practice at the time known as “block-busting.”
Ultimately, viewers found the show too challenging to enjoy. Despite its talented cast and many awards, CBS canceled East Side/West Side after one year.
The remarkable Cicely Tyson
The loss of East Side/West Side didn’t hold Tyson back from achieving her dreams on her own terms. According to the New York Times, she went on to play many important roles, such as the 1972 movie Sounder, which earned her an Oscar nomination. She also appeared in TV series like Roots and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, which earned her an Emmy.
In total, Tyson earned an Academy Award nomination, three Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award as well as the 2018 Honorary Academy Award. President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. She received the 2015 Kennedy Center Honor and 2020 Career Achievement Peabody Award.
During her long career, Tyson appeared in 29 films, at least 68 TV shows, and 15 Broadway productions. She even returned to Broadway at age 90 to appear with James Earl Jones in a 2015 revival of The Gin Game. She was also involved in charity work, such as being a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.
In January 2021, Tyson released a memoir about her remarkable life, titled Just as I Am. A few days later, at the age of 96, she died. Tyson’s boundary-breaking role in East Side/West Side is only one of the reasons her legacy will endure in Hollywood and beyond.
