Cicely Tyson Made History at Last Night’s Tony Awards

Tyson got the longest standing ovation of the night. But that's not all.

By Jamilah King Jun 10, 2013

After a 30 year absence from Broadway, Cicely Tyson became the oldest person to win an award for her starring role as Miss Carrie Watts in The Trip to Bountiful. Rod McCullom noted that received the "longest standing ovation of the night", reported The New York Times. Watch her acceptance speech in the video above.

The Times also notes that black actors had a huge night at the Tonys in general last night:

…at a time when only 15 to 20 percent of actors on Broadway are black, half of the major acting awards went to African-Americans. Cicely Tyson, at age 88, won her first Tony for best actress in a play as a neglected mother in "The Trip to Bountiful"; Patina Miller, best actress in a musical as the Leading Player in "Pippin;" Mr. Porter, best actor in a musical as the drag queen Lola in "Kinky Boots"; and Courtney B. Vance, best featured actor in a play as a newspaper editor in "Lucky Guy."

Read more at Rod 2.0 and at the New York Times.