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
Well I happen to be African American, Indian and French. And all through out my life I have been not only questioned by my race but also scrutinized. And yes, I hate to say it but its true Black ppl do have serious issues with other blacks who are racially mixed. Its always “Oh, what are you?” And when u say what u truly are and not that they want to here its then this look as if u stole from them, then comes the hating criticism
Thats because their crabs hun, I’m sure u know the saying. But Tiger woods got out though, now their all pissed cus they cant pull him down in the barrel.
It’s no barrels that anyone wants anyone pulled in . EVERYRACE ! Not just blacks want to claim someone as their own . Even with Tyra , clearly she had said she is black , it says she is black and you still have people trying to say she is mixed because of her eyes and skin . People just want credit where it’s due . They fail to realize all the crap our ancestors went through with the whites and how many black women were rapped leaving Their kids later with different skin tones and face features .
That’s the thing, your not Black. Your Mixed so they look at you differently. Black and Mixed race are two different things. If you call yourself Black and follow their culture but then say your Mixed, they look at you as an imposter. Not to be mean.
It’s obvious that she’s mixed.
She is not , she looks BLACK . You guys forget the hell our ancestors went through in the past , just because her eyes are forest green doesn’t make her “mixed ” it’s so sad how ignorant and stereotypical you people can be . She is black , both her parents are black , she said she is black and it says she is black .
She did a DNA test and it showed she had 14% British ancestry. Green eyes are most common among people with Celtic and Germanic ancestry (and the Brits have both Celtic and Germanic roots). Sure, light-coloured eyes do occur in Africans but that’s very rare. It’s more likely the green eyes came from her British ancestry.
Also looking “black” isn’t enough to be called “black” There are plenty of Latin people with a darker skin tone and a curly texture of hair, we dont call them African Americans.
If one of your parents are black and ther other happens to be a different Race by FACT you are Biracial. It doesnt matter which parent you just so happen to favor the most.
That’s because their taught to see themselves as Latin first.They have their own history and culture(which shapes their Identity).That’s why they don’t call themselves African American.It’s no different than an Italian not wanting to be called a Spaniard,even if they might have the same skin tone and hair
Ok again, what you look like does NOT determine your race. There are plenty of Hispanics that have Asian qualities, does that mean they’re Asian??? My goodness. If you are born in a SPANISH speaking country and your family is from a SPANISH speaking country than guess what??? I think you know the rest, and if not than I feel bad for you. My whole family is born in Brazil but my brother has Red hair and likes to drink. Does that mean he’s Irish??? lol
(what you look like does NOT determine your race)
Ok that’s fine
(There are plenty of Hispanics that have Asian qualities, does that mean they’re Asian???)
That’s completely possible,Asians aren’t strangers to latin America(Mexico,Cuba,dominican republic,brazil etc).Chinese,Japanese Filipinos etc.Have in the past been brought or migrated on their own to Latin America.
(If you are born in a SPANISH speaking country and your family is from a SPANISH speaking country than guess what??? I think you know the rest,)
Yes,you’re a person born and raised in a Spanish speaking country,but that doesn’t make you Spanish.It means that you’re a citizen of that country.Your family could have originally been from france,or Ireland in your case,since you mention your brothers red hair.If you bothered to look into your Brazilian history,you would have seen that Irish people did migrated to Brazil in the 1800’s on til now.Now the fact that you didn’t know that,or bother to look it up,makes me feel bad for you.
u missed so much of what she said. I get ur point Laura its quite obvious. l especially love the part where he tells u, u dont know where ur family originated from. Lmao
This sounds ridiculous ur trying so hard to come off as intelligent and u just sound stupid. Who the hell doesnt have mixed ancestry? Its the immediate family, your parents that determines your race, the country you’re born in is your Nation. So someone who has a hispanic mother and father is in fact HISPANIC. How the f can u go back to their great great great great grandmothers fathers,uncle just to call them something else. Please u make no since fuzzy.
1,243,471 Latin americans call themselves Black. etc Tatyana Ali
LOL I notice that with African Americans the whole being “mixed” thing is one of the most dangerous subjects to have. I’ve heard many blacks who are mixed say how hard it is, and now I see why. They are made to feel like they should completely deny the other colture they are mixed with, just to keep the waters from boiling. My question is, Why do non-mixed African Americans get so heated when another black person is racially mixed and is actually proud to say it?
That’s funny,there was someone commenting on shailene woodley today.This person said, that they as well as Society see shailene woodley white,no matter what she or her mixed background says.That person making the comment,I believe was white.So it’s not just the big bad African Americans .Also I’ve seen many comments on here as well as other place, from non-African Americans saying people like (gabrielle reece shailene woodley etc.) are white no matter what their background says.So I think white people are just as guilty of this mindset.
I’m not saying other races don’t have racial issues once in a while. But you’d be lying if you can honestly say that African Americans don’t have a HUGE issue with black people that are biracial or mixed actually saying that they’re mixed. Its like if you’re mixed you better keep it to yourself or else there’s going to be big trouble. And those of you who have a problem with mixed black people saying they are mixed, and being PROUD. You need to quesstion yourselfs and realise that no matter how much you try to pull them down into the barrel it still doesn’t change the FACT that they are mixed. period
(I’m not saying other races don’t have racial issues once in a while.)
Please they do it all the time,everyone is guilty of it
(But you’d be lying if you can honestly say that African Americans don’t have a HUGE issue with black people that are biracial or mixed actually saying that they’re mixed. )
Every black person I ever met,was mixed with something else.Also I’ve ask this question at least a dozen times,which anyone who’s been on the site for a long time,can attest to.
(Where do live,that black act crazy with you for saying you’re Biracial?)
Because I’ve never seen it.I’ve been around black people all my life,who run the spectrum of color.I can honestly say I’ve never seen it or heard about it except on t.v. or the web.
So tell me honestly,how many AA have you witness personally do this?Also if you happen to notice,many of these Biracial celebrities label themselves black. Also you keep using the phrase(mixed black people),which means you must see them as black people first.
I disagree because even if that person is mixed with black they are still considered African American so that makes your argument invalid . Tyra is black . Just because of the color if her eyes doesn’t make her another race . You all fail to forget the hell our ancestors had to go through . I am black with blue eyes and light skin only because of my grandmother who was mixed with blue eyes but from the rest if my family tree were black . I have had no problem with looking mixed , my people know I’m black and even I I were mixed they would still love me the same and I would still be considered black
if you look black, mix or no mix u r black, if u look white mix or no mix, u r white..i think that’s fair bcoz we cant hae every1 who is a mix being said to be black
This is the stupidest shit I’ve ever read. If you’re mixed, you’re f*cking mixed no matter how you look. Biologically you are mixed.
Exactly!!
All African Americans are mixed.