OPEN TO BIPOC APPLICANTS
(New York Campus Scholarship)

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, we are privileged to name a new annual scholarship in honor of the legendary actress and humanitarian, Cicely Tyson.

This scholarship for one year of full-time study at LSTFI in New York will be awarded to a talented BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) actor who demonstrates great potential and passion for a career in the performing arts.

Miss Tyson studied with Lee Strasberg; her work illuminates the essence of Method Acting and is a great inspiration to all of us. Her career in theater, film and television spans over seven decades, and she continues to work and receive acclaim for her performances.

Miss Tyson was known for selecting meaningful roles that communicate a positive message and portraying strong women. She used her artistic craft to address crucial issues of racial and gender equality, justice, inclusiveness and promote social change.

Her most memorable work includes the film Sounder, for which she received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations; The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman; The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All; Alex Haley’s Roots; and, the play and film, The Trip to Bountiful. Her most notable performances on Broadway include The Gin Game and The Trip to Bountiful, for which she won a Tony Award. Her work on television has received 3 Emmy Awards and 16 nominations, most recently in 2020 for her guest appearance How to Get Away with Murder.

Among Miss Tyson’s numerous other awards are an honorary Oscar, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Contribution to the Arts and American Culture, the NAACP’s highest honor, the Peabody Career Achievement Award and induction into the Television Hall of Fame.

The scholarship includes three full-time terms of study and will be awarded to a student who is not currently enrolled in a degree program, for one academic year beginning in Fall 2026.