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
correction; her eyes are forest green (green+brown) and her hair is dark brown (brunette) I think it should be listed
correction; her eyes are just green not forest green
I’m sure Tyra has something down the line like all African-Americans, but she is not directly mixed. Her parents are both African-American. Therefore, she is African-American. I don’t see why people have a problem with this.
If she had something down the line than she isnt african america…dont you think so?You contradicting idiot.
@Mulatto-Guy
(If she had something down the line than she isnt african america)
African American is not about skin color,which is the only part you people are focus on.It’s a Cultural Heritage/Identity,It doesn’t exclude anything.These gentlemen here,could have easily lived their as white people,but chose not to:
Romare Bearden:
http://media.npr.org/programs/watc/features/2003/sep/bearden/bearden_140-176dcbfa09f7c9fa2f2db4f91f5fefb0da0ad0f5-s6-c30.jpg
G. K. Butterfield:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/G._K._Butterfield%2C_Official_Portrait%2C_112th_Congress.jpg
Charles W. Chesnutt:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Charles_W_Chesnutt_40.jpg
Robert Purvis:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Robert_Purvis_daguerreotype_BPL.jpg
Lorenzo Tucker:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f1/Lorenzo_Tucker.jpg
They chose to embraced their black side.It didn’t matter,that they didn’t look like their melanin enriched ancestors.They still wanted to take more pride in the that part of their heritage.
You call yourself Mulatto-Guy,and that’s you right.No one here is upset with you for doing that.So you have no right to try and impose your will,on what AA’s should call themselves.
Now if Tyra has white ancestry,which I don’t doubt.It’s apparently not recent,which is why she doesn’t mention it.However she is AA,which mean full or partial African heritage.When we were called (Negro,black,coloured,boy,)we still had the white blood in use,no one said anything.Now that we are called AA, all hell breaks loose.
I’m pretty sure you would have a problem with someone who’s as black as Biggy calling themselves a Mulatto even you can be 99% positive he had some White ancestry. The problem is that she looks like she is part white. Now if you knew the definition of African American you would know that it’s not a contradiction. A-A is those having ANY origin of the original ppl of Sub-Saharan Africa
I think people got a problem,because we are tired of ignorant idiots claiming black when they are not fully black!Understood?
@Mulatto-Guy
(because we are tired of ignorant idiots claiming black when they are not fully black!Understood?)
Well you have a problem with it, and I understand that.However no one else seem to.It’s the popular view that African Americans and Haitians,are only black people over here.White people call AA’s black. Dominicans don’t have a problem,calling AA black. Puerto Ricans don’t have a problem calling AA’s black.The Cape verde’s and even the Jamaicans on this site,are quick to say that AA’s are black,but not them.So your upset,because AA’s don’t seem to have your problem,and freely embrace that part of their heritage?What about the white and Latin people,who do the same thing?They also do it in Europe to,so are they ignorant idiots claiming only white?
African Americans/Black are usually between 70%-75% Black.
TYRA IS FULLY BLACK SHE STANDS UP FOR BLACK PRIDE SHE LOVES BEING BLACK SHE ALWAYS TELL HER DARK SKIN BLACK MODELS ON ANTM THAT THEIR SKIN COLOR IS BEAUTIFUL SHE NEVER EVER CLAIM ANOTHER RACE SO I DONT KNOW WHY Y’ALL TRYNA CLAIM HER ANOTHER RACE AND SHE NOT CLAIMING ANY OTHER RACE THAN AFRICAN AMERICAN
stands up for black pride? like the black panthers did on election day? wow, you really are an idiot.
looks to me as if the panthers took a page out of the white supremacist play book.It’s no different,than what white racists have done for generations.Not that I’m condoning their actions,simply stating a fact.Actually never heard of these guys,before you brought them up.
You americans make me sick!!!You feel you need to be black and ignore your white ancestors,just to feel comfortable…bunch of uneducated idiots.
@Mulatto-Guy
(You feel you need to be black and ignore your white ancestors,just to feel comfortable)
You mean like their white ancestors chose to do to them for generations,and still do
You ignorant person!Did you know comedian chris rock found out he is 20 percent white from a DNA test?!check it on youtube!They show several people that had no fucking clue!!!
@Mulatto-Guy
(They show several people that had no fucking clue!!!)
They don’t have clue,because they probably have never seen those white members.Times were different,wasn’t like it is for you.I don’t see that many white people running around jumping for joy,because they have some black blood,why aren’t you yelling at them?Your fellow Europeans will say they have anything,but black blood.Do you say anything to them?
Remember, Her background is “African American,” not African, meaning her ancestry has black, white, and everything in between. She could be a mixed race in denial.
She’s black get over it we don’t come on white people’s or any other race of people’s pages and deny their race so get off this BLACK WOMENS page cause u obviously came here to find out something but too bad your wrong.
Tyra’s eye color and overall facial featuress are a clear distinction of some mixed ancestry. She doesn’t have to be mixed(as in half and half) but could be 1/8 or 1/4 even
Im tired of having to explain it to people!!!Im glad you are not as dumb as these idiot wanabe african americans in here!America is so ignorant it makes my head hurt!Comedian chris rock just found out he is 20 percent white via dna tests…check it out on youtube…its interesting.
Get a life you uneducated lost bitch!She is not fully black!Get over it!She is a wanabe!Nothing but a lost bitch!!!Im not here to hate blacks…my dad is african and lives in africa!A real african!You uneducated american idiots are confused!The world thinks you are a joke!
(She is a wanabe)
If tyra or anyone else calls themselves black,why does it bother you?You’re not AA,so why do you care.So the world thinks Americans are a joke,again why does it bother you?
You dumb bitch,i bet you think comedian chris brown is black!!!He found out he is 20 percent white!!!How about that?!Go educate yourself!
@Mulatto-Guy
Are you it’s comedian chris brown?
@Are you sure it’s comedian chris brown?
Chris Brown has to black parent. He’s Black. Snoop Dog is Darker than Charles Barkley yet Charles Barkley is more “Black” than Snoop. but they’re both black because both parents are “Black”. You don’t even know how the US defines black
that mean 38 million A-A are in denial
Tyrone you are so ignorant you can’t even spell. Gray don’t change to blue or green. Yes, celebrities do lie!
Oooh WOOOOW just coz i spelt one word wrong by one letter you make such a big deal out of it. And please explain to me why im so ignorant?? Please I would love to know…Do you even know what ignorant means or were you just being ignorant with your comment just now??