Prime Minister Andrew Holness has used his official Instagram page to pay tribute to iconic actress Cicely Tyson who died at the age of 96 on Thursday.

The PM wrote in part, “Cicely Tyson is a household name and her roles resonate with people all over the world. I send heartfelt condolences to her loved ones and fans.”

Cicely Tyson’s death was announced by her longtime manager, Larry Thompson, who provided no other details.

Miss Tyson’s vivid portrayals of strong African-American women shattered racial stereotypes in the dramatic arts of the 1970s, propelling her to stardom and fame as an exemplary for civil rights.

In a remarkable career of seven decades, she broke ground for serious Black actors by refusing to take parts that demeaned Black people. She urged Black colleagues to do the same, and often went without work.

Cicely Tyson was critical of films and television programs that cast Black characters as criminal, or immoral, and insisted that African-Americans, even if poor or downtrodden, should be portrayed with dignity.

She won three Emmys and many awards from civil rights and women’s groups, and at 88 became the oldest person to win a Tony, for her 2013 Broadway role in a revival of Horton Foote’s “The Trip to Bountiful.”

At 93, she won an honorary Oscar, and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2018 and into the Television Hall of Fame in 2020. She also won a career achievement Peabody Award in 2020.