Harlem Native Cicely Tyson To Have Public Viewing At Famed Church

HARLEM, NY — Residents of Harlem will get a chance to say a final goodbye to Cicely Tyson at a public viewing for the legendary actor in her native neighborhood next week.

A public viewing for Tyson, who died last week at 96, will be held Monday, Feb. 15 at Abyssinian Baptist Church, her family announced.

Guests will be required to comply with COVID-19 protocols by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing at the viewing, which will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. No photographs will be allowed.

Tyson, the daughter of immigrants from Nevis, was born in East Harlem in 1924.

After her parents separated, nine-year-old Tyson sold shopping bags on the neighborhood's streets for extra cash, ABC7 reported.

Even long after she'd left the neighborhood, the Rev. Al Sharpton told CBS that Tyson "would not let you talk about Harlem in a negative."

"She did not leave Harlem to go mainstream. She made mainstream come and celebrate Harlem … and her grace and her presence spoke for itself," he said.

Tyson began her career as a model, became a stage actress and entered the mainstream in 1972 when she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in the film "Sounder."

In the 1990s, a nonprofit housing developer redeveloped four East Harlem buildings to house 58 low-income families — including the East 101st Street walkup where Tyson grew up, 6sqft reported.

Tyson attended the building's dedication, telling attendees, "To have some place memorialized in that manner means more to me than I can verbalize."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Cicely Tyson. What a presence. She was a proud daughter of Harlem and a passionate champion for women. @NYCFirstLady and I were lucky enough to spend some time with her. She just lit up the room. Her hometown is a little less bright tonight. pic.twitter.com/e4sJ3eJfVk
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 29, 2021