Banks, Tyra

Tyra Lynne Banks (1973-) is an African American talk show host, actress, singer, writer, and former model. Banks was born in Inglewood, California. She began modeling at the age of 15, and soon she became an international supermodel. At a very young age, she started doing print and runway work for major brands in fashion, advertisement, and the food industry. Banks appeared on the covers of leading fashion and lifestyle magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, and Vogue. She was also the first African American model to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

Banks started her acting career in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1993. Later, she appeared in a number of television series, movies, and music videos. In 1998, Banks published Tyra's Beauty, Inside and Out, a book to advise young women on beauty and style. Although she was already a popular media personality, Banks's first major television project was America's Next Top Model, a reality television show launched in 2003. Tyra Banks is the creator, host, head judge, and executive producer of the show in which a number of young women compete to start a career in the modeling industry. After the immense success of the show, Banks retired from modeling in 2005 to focus on her television career. That year she launched The Tyra Banks Show, a daytime talk show that she hosted and produced. In 2008, Banks won the Daytime Emmy Award for the show.

As a young African American woman who has attained fame, wealth, and success and who supports other women, Banks become a role model for young girls in the United States and abroad. She is also popular among the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning) community, particularly gay [Page 125]men. In 2009, she was given Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's Excellence in Media Award for her strong commitment to creating public awareness about the lives of gay and transgender people on her talk show. Banks's popularity is also related to the approachable and endearing personality she portrays on the show.

There are also controversial issues about Banks and her work. Although Banks founded her TZONE (Tyra Zone) foundation in 1999 to help girls deal with their insecurities, particularly about their bodies, and she speaks out against eating disorders on her shows, America's Next Top Model has been criticized for promoting an unhealthy body image and for subjecting the contestants to forms of violence in front of the camera.