<p><strong>“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</strong></p><p><em>“Just as I Am is my truth. It is me, </em><em>plain and unvarnished, with the glitter </em><em>and garland set aside. In these </em><em>pages, I am indeed Cicely, the actress </em><em>who has been blessed to grace the </em><em>stage and screen for six decades. Yet </em><em>I am also the church girl who once </em><em>rarely spoke a word. I am the teenager </em><em>who sought solace in the verses </em><em>of the old hymn for which this book </em><em>is named. I am a daughter and a </em><em>mother, a sister and a friend. I am an </em><em>observer of human nature and the </em><em>dreamer of audacious dreams. I am </em><em>a woman who has hurt as immeasurably </em><em>as