The famous American actress, Cicely Tyson passed away Thursday at the age of 96 after a career that spanned seven decades. Tyson was known for portraying strong African-American characters.

However, the cause of death was not revealed.

Tyson won two Emmys for her performance in the 1974 civil rights-era film The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.

In addition, Tyson became the first black woman to take on a main role in the TV drama East Side/West Side in the 1960s.

Former US president Barack Obama mourned the death of the actress. Obama took to his official Twitter account and posted a throwback photo with Tyson and his wife Michelle Obama and wrote, “In her extraordinary career, Cicely Tyson was one of the rare award-winning actors whose work on the screen was surpassed only by what she was able to accomplish off of it.”