Tyra Banks
Banks in 2011, kathclick/bigstock.com
Birth Name: Tyra Lynne Banks
Place of Birth: Inglewood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: December 4, 1973
Ethnicity: African-American
Tyra Banks is an American model, television personality, producer, businessperson, actress, author, and singer. She was the host of The Tyra Banks Show from 2005 to 2010, created, and presented, the show America’s Next Top Model, and appeared in the films Coyote Ugly and Halloween: Resurrection, among other works. She is also known as BanX.
Her parents, Caroline (London) and Donald Banks, are both African-American. A picture of Tyra with her parents can be seen here.
Tyra has a son with her former partner, Norwegian photographer Erik Asla.
A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show America’s Next Top Model (2014) stated that Tyra’s genetic ancestry is:
*79% African
*14% British
*6% Native American
One of Tyra’s great-great-grandfathers was named Walter Taylor.
Tyra’s maternal grandfather possibly was Ernest London (the son of Edward London and Ophelia Christopher). Ernest was born in Louisiana. Edward was the son of Charles London and Maria. Ophelia was the daughter of Antoine/Antony Christopher and Susan West Duncan/Champ.
Tyra’s maternal grandmother was Florine B. Coleman (the daughter of Fletcher Coleman and Lucinda/Loucindy Wisner/Hampton). Florine was born in Texas. Fletcher was born in Texas, the son of Ezekle “Zeke”/Ezekiel Coleman and Julia Beasley.
Sources: Genealogical information on Tyra Banks – https://blogs.ancestry.com
Her grandfather was Ernest London who was married to Florine Coleman, although it seems her mother was born under the surname Taylor, not London. Was Ernest actually her biological grandfather? Was Florine married to a man named Taylor at the time of Caroline’s birth? I’m not sure.
Ernest was born to Louisiana, to Ophelia Christopher and Edward London, who married in New Orleans in 1921. Their marriage must not have worked out, as Ophelia then married Frank Washington and Ernest appears living in the 1930 and 1940 censuses with them.
Ophelia’s parents were Antoine/Antony Christopher and Susan Duncan.
Its funny how people will assume she is like 40% white like Vanessa Williams or something but she is only 19% white. Nothing white about her looks. She is just an African girl with green eyes.
*14%
You and your agenda on here are so weird. Like, first posts come with an agenda instead of just enjoying and/or providing anything of value or interest. Sad!
Tyra’s maternal grandfather was surnamed London.
Tyra’s maternal grandmother was Florine B. Coleman (the daughter of Fletcher Coleman and Lucinda Wisner/Hampton). Florine was born in Texas. Fletcher was born in Texas, the son of Ezekle “Zeke” Coleman and Julia Beasley. Lucinda was born in Texas.
Why is that hard to believe? African-American is an ethnicity and Tyra’s DNA test matches with or is similar to most African-Americans in the U.S. African-Americans are mostly African with some European in the mix.
European-Americans too can have some African in the mix if their family has been in the U.S. long enough. Ben Affleck tested for some African and Johnny Depp has an African ancestor as well.
Most people simply aren’t purely one thing.