Award-winning actress Cecily Tyson said she climbed the ladder to success because of her sense of pride.

She emphasized the value of self-worth during her presentation last night in honor of Black History Month.

"If you think you are nothing, you are in fact nothing," Tyson said, characteristically giving advice from the heart.

The packed audience in Schwab Auditorium gave Tyson two standing ovations last night -- one before she spoke and one after.

Tyson is most famous for her performance as Binta, the mother of Kunta Kinte, in Roots and for her performance in The Autobiography of Ms. Jane Pitman where she starred as Ms. Pitman.

Dressed in a colorful bolero, the actress smiled and posed coyly for photographers before beginning a question-and-answer session, which preceded a poetry reading.

The audience saw a hint of Tyson's acting ability when she read excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, among others.

Tyson, who grew up in the ghettos of New York City, told of her personal experiences growing up in that area and gave advice on how to deal with the problems that exist there today.

"First of all, growing up in the ghetto in my time is quite different from what it is today; nonetheless, it was a poverty stricken area," Tyson said. "Mother instilled in us respect in ourselves and to have pride in who we are."

Today, there are drugs and crime in addition to the poverty, Tyson said. But parents are still responsible for instilling in their children a sense of pride and self-worth that will aid them in overcoming these problems.

Tyson said serving for a year as a chairperson for UNICEF was a learning experience.

"The most gratifying thing was to be made aware of how UNICEF functions in third world countries," she said. "Give a man a loaf of bread he'll eat for a day, teach him how to make a loaf of bread, he'll eat for the rest of his life."

Tyson said in an interview that she hoped to communicate to the audience the need for unity.

"I hope I've made them aware . . . for us to recognize the fact that we all need one another," she said. "The sooner we recognize that fact, the less problems we'll have in this universe."

Shelly Bynum, a staff assistant in nutrition, said she was impressed with Tyson's performance. She said she was pleased that Tyson spoke about self-worth because it is something that is important to address today.

"If I were to say one word --professional," Bynum said. "I think that she's a good role model not just for aspiring artists and actresses, but for women."

And Remi Newman, co-director of Womyn's Concerns, said Tyson's mention of self-worth was empowering.

"The main thing was that until you value yourself as a person you're not gonna get anywhere," Newman said.