Actress Cicely Tyson has died at age 96 -Variety

Actress Cicely Tyson, who specialized in portraying strong black women caught in struggles during a 60-year career that earned her Emmy and Tony awards, died on Thursday at age 96, Hollywood publication Variety reported.

Tyson's most lauded performances came in historical works such as the 1972 movie "Sounder" for playing a Louisiana sharecropper's wife.