Aunt Cicely kindly put her self-righteous daughter squarely in her place.....then STILL gave her money to support herself. That's a MOTHER right there.......
Cicely was touching on an identity crisis a lot of black Americans experience in one way or another. Though Africa is perhaps the cradle of civilization, we don’t have to reach across the ocean for a sense of self. The black American struggle for freedom is an incomparable contribution to history, and it’s okay to be proud of those ancestors who helped make our lives possible. Peace to the ancestors, and RIP to a most wonderful woman, Mrs. Tyson. 🙏🏾
Cicely Tyson is one hell of a powerful actress. She touches the soul with her talent like no other. If I ever get into acting, she will definitely be my mentor
Crim Ryder Ciicely is soooooooooo unappreciated it isn't funny. She was incredible in the autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman, Sounder, and even the movie Busting Loose with the late Richard Pryor.
Kiswana was too headstrong to realize what her mother was trying to tell her. She was so busy trying to save the world when she should have been trying to save herself. This is what her mother was trying to tell her.
Mama told her! She was just standing there confused and speechless. That's what happens when you take on an identity that was never yours in the first place and your elders snap ya ass back into reality.💀
@@layah28, agree. A lot of we black people don't know that a lot of Africans do not like us. I truly know this from experience. Me and one of my friends were sitting outside talking one day and this African guy whom drove an ice cream truck. Stop and started talking to my friend and which is a very dark skin tone person..me being medium light skin tone i was laughing and talking to him alone with my friend and i notice he wasn't friendly with me at all and asked him were he ok and it shocked me when he flat foot told me he don't like people my skin tone and said to me he liked my friend skin tone better. Wow that hurt me. But i couldn't and didn't let him know nor see that he did.
5:02 Cicely Tyson steals a scene yet again. She appears onscreen for just under seven minutes... and rules the entire mini-series with that line delivery. Robin Givens facial expressions speak volumes.
saw this when it originally aired.. too bad the clip does not include " Melanie" sitting down on the couch, pulls the newspaper out from under her , only to discover the $$$ her mother had left her.
Robin wish she had the talent and onscreen presence as Cicely Tyson. Cicely Tyson has been blessed with GOD given talent where Robin Givens talent has been learned. Not taking anything from Robin; she is good in her own way but she is not comparison to Cicely Tyson. Cicely Tyson is in a class all by herself. That what you call GREATNESS!!
You know you're a goat when you come in do a near 7 minute scene of a mini-series and stole the show and mini series Ms. Cecil Tyson is an iconic actress
Just reading these comments from from years ago and how much people appreciated and adored her let’s you know how much of a great actress Cicely Tyson was!! Rest In Peace to that beautiful soul.
Have you all notices how she handles her child (in traditional Black mother fashion) by hitting her child back with reading. To hit the girl would have to been to easy. She wanted to teach her a lesson that would change her life. You know the story. You get told off so well all you want to do is go die, but dont feel youre worth of death. LOL love this scene
you don't have to live in the ghetto to be black or live in struggle forever. being able to overcome that struggle and live comfortably is not "forgetting where you came from". for example the banks family in the fresh prince of bel-air is the perfect example of rich, successful, black family who are proud of their blackness and embrace it regardless
@@greenlight8819 I understood what she said but both of them wasn't embracing their blackness and both of them grew up poor before Phil got the job at firth wind and mire Ashley was the youngest and was more about her roots than trying to be a product of her environment uncle Phil and viv were too
@@krlm2280 I have to disagree Hilary & Carlton never denied their blackness and didn't see signs of them not embracing their blackness. Just because they both didn't fall into the stereotype of how black people should behave and like. Carlton more than Hilary knew the hurdles he would face as a black man he just wasn't preachy and in your face about it as Will. Carlton excelled academically. Will came off more of a fraud when he was able to get black history taught at Bel-Air Prep he just shouted the slogans of Malcolm X, MLK, Harriette Tubman without knowing the true meaning of what they were fighting for. He wanted black history taught and thought he was going to excel but coe to find out he knew nothing. He just knew the faces of great black leaders, well known events, and their slogans, not important dates, what started it all, history behind it nothing.
@@KaoticDude that Same episode when they were at their old apartment when uncle Phil was an intern when Carlton was a kid Phil said he could be the first black president and Carlton said "I'm black" in my opinion Carlton and Hillary wasn't embracing until will got there and he had to school Carlton on a few life lessons as a black man including the episode when they got pulled over and Carlton kept saying they was doing they're job and will told him they got pulled over because they were black and he didn't want to accept that until uncle Phil told him the same thing happened to him and when he was trying to get into the fraternity he finally kept it Real as a black man but I respect ur opinion
I always remember thinking cicely was right in this scene as bitchy as she was. She had lived what her daughter was trying to emulate . So to see your daughter go “struggle” in the hood when you had no choice at her age is what was behind her feelings . Same happened in a scene on fresh prince when will tried to imply phil was a sellout and phil ended up checking him.
I've said it once and i'll say it again, God Bless Cicely Tyson. I was about 11 when this movie premiered on network television. and I remember the power of this scene. it speaks to direction and identity of African American middle class. Education, culture or lack there of aren't what makes a racial identity. for that matter, I also remember the late 80s criticisms of the Cosby Show for depicting such an upscale, classy image of a middle class Black family. my mom always said The Cosby Show didn't have to be Good Times to prove their love or how "in touch" they were with African American culture. They said it by the music they listened to, the rich artwork on the walls of their home, by their pride in HBCU alma maters. Cicely got that right. "Black is just Black."
I love this scene. I haven't seen The Women of Brewster Place since it first aired in 1989, but I never forgot this scene. Rest in peace, Cicely Tyson.
She deserved an Oscar for this alone! There's so much truth in this scene. People always feel like in order to be "black" you have to be from the ghetto, talk improper English/slang, and be less than. When it's the total opposite! We are royal people.
One of the best miniseries of ALL time! So underrated, both the cast and the writing. I have this on DVD, but need to go back and re-read the 1982 novel by the late author, Gloria Naylor.
Loved this miniseries! I have the DVD also. I was really exasperated that some of the scenes were edited from the original. I didn't realize Ms Naylor had passed Edited: I just checked and see that Amazon offers an uncut edition. I have to have it!
My goodness. Those words Cicely Tyson spoke were powerful! The character Cicely Tyson played in this movie reminds me so much of my dear, precious African-American mother. I thank God for my mother. She poured so much into me and my siblings. As a result, we are all blessed, successful and proud of the legacy she has so graciously and generously poured out to us. Thank you so much, Mommy. :-)
Halleluyah! Praise Yahweh for waking up his children. We are gradually realizing that we are not Hamites but Yahwehs chosen children. Almost every person of color in America has an Native American or Aborigine ancestor. America has always been our land. Israel crossed over first, and Judah came by ships.
"She swore to whatever Gods were listening"....that's where she messed up. Theres only ONE GOD, the creator, the giver of life, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God of Elijah Blessed be His Name
Nuuuuu! You cut off the best part where Cicely leaves, like "Get a damn telephone." and you see she's left an envelope of cash on the couch for her ungrateful ass daughter!
Cicely schooled her pupil across from her! It’s the choices you make, not what stereotypes you choose to follow. Cicely Tyson is one of our gem treasures of our Black Nation and a universal figure across our world 🌎 I will miss you beautiful woman❤️
What a fantastic miniseries such thoughtful and interesting writing.. she puts her daughter in her place just so she can realize what she actually has...the privilege her mother worked her ass off to give her and what she should be proud of.. there's nothing like a self-righteous child who won't take help when they need it just so they can achieve the greatness they already act like they have..
I am about to tick some people off but we don't give Melanie's mothers generation the thanks and respect they deserve. They took on our burdens. It's not easy but our journey pales in comparison to what they faced. She's right, some move away to make a way. We could learn a lot from women like her if we actually took the time to listen instead of writing them off.
I can't breathe during this scene 30 years later. Please people read the sequels: Linden Hills and The Men of Brewster Place. It will answer all your questions about The Women of Brewster Place.
