Rosa Parks, Daisy Bates, and Oprah Winfrey are remarkable names whose lives inspire greatness and motivation to the world. Like these women, Tyra Banks exemplifies strength, ambition, dedication, wisdom, and a never giving up spirit along with feminine charm. Tyra Banks has made her name famous worldwide as a model, actress, singer, author, television host/ personality, and producer. Tyra Lynne Banks known as Tyra Banks; was born on December 4th, 1973, in Inglewood, California. She is the daughter of Caroline London, a NASA photographer, and Donald Banks, a computer consultant. She is 79% African, 14% British and 6% Native American ancestry.
She has an older brother, named Devin who is five years older to her. In 1979, when Tyra was six years old, her parents divorced. This normally leaves a negative impact on most children; however, Tyra took it in a positive way. Tyra mentions to the media “I stayed with Mommy on the weekdays and Daddy on the weekends. I had two birthday parties, two Christmases. Double the presents, double the love. ” Hence, since childhood, Tyra Banks had a very positive mindset. Tyra Banks attended John Burroughs Middle School and graduated in 1991 from Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles.
While growing up, it was not easy for Tyra Banks. She mentions that she was often bullied and teased for her appearance and considered an “ugly duckling” and “giraffe” because of her height. However, she took her height in a positive way and began modeling when she was 15 years old after her “awkward phase was over”, while attending High School in Los Angeles. Tyra Bank’s Mom, Caroline London, is a NASA photographer; hence she had great photography skills that helped Tyra in her modeling career. Caroline London shot her portfolio for her modeling career.
However, she faced rejection and discrimination because the modeling agencies told her she looked “too ethnic” and another agency said they did not want another black woman model as they already have one Since Tyra did not receive much work for her modeling career, she went back to school at Loyola Mary Mount University in 1991. At university, a modeling scout spotted her, and Elite Model Management offered her to send her to Paris for high fashion. Tyra became well known in the fashion modeling industry and become one of the world’s top supermodels. She got the chance to do 25 runway shows when she was in Paris.
By the mid 1990s, tension started to rise between Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell. Tyra was often told she is the look-alike as Campbell and the two women were against each other on the assumption that there was only room for only one top black model. Tyra Banks then left Elite Management to ease the tension but also because she started to gain weight, which was forbidden in the modeling world. Tyra did not want to starve herself, as a result, she decided to go back to the U. S. A and switch from a runway model career to a swimwear and lingeriemodeling career, where curvier models are more accepted.
For a very long time, Tyra was a plus size model and in 1996 she made history. In 1996, Tyra was the first black model to appear on GQ. Sports illustrated Swimsuit Addition and signed contracts with Covergirl and Victoria Secret. Moreover, Tyra was mentioned in the People Magazine as 50 Most Beautiful People list numerous times, won the Supermodel of the Year Award (Michael Award) in 1997 and teen choice award for favorite supermodel. Hence, Tyra’s modeling career was definitely successful and she received a lot of acknowledgments and fame.
In addition to her modeling career, Tyra began an acting career in the 1990s as well. She had a good relationship with John Singleton, director of Boyz N the Hood. Tyra first television role was as Will Smith’s girlfriend in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and made guest appearances in shows like Felicity and American Dreams. Moreover, she also makes a screen debut in Singleton’s Higher Learning, who claimed that the role was given to her because of her talent and not because she was his girlfriend at the time. After breaking up with Singleton, Tyra had good relationships with Sean.
In 2003, Tyra made her prominent in the reality show TV word, when she produced and hosted the show America’s Next Top Model and had considerable television audiences as 20 seasons were produced. In 2005, Tyra expanded into her own talk show called The Tyra Show. The show was very famous in 2007, when Tyra mentions and shows her swimsuit pictures. The focus of her show was to bring positive images of women to the world. Eventually, Tyra launched her own beauty website called typef. com and TYRA Beauty cosmetics line. She also enrolled herself at Harvard Business School, to complete a course for CEO and other executive positions in early 2012.
From this point on, Tyra became very successful and truly inspiration to many women across the world as she opened and supported many charities and taught women to embrace themselves the way they are. Tyra Bank’s career story was career as relationships because she began working through referrals. Tyra’s mother, Caroline London, is a professional NASA photographer, and through her mom’s help she was able to put together a modeling portfolio to start her modeling career. Moreover, at university, a modeling scout spotted her and offered her to send her to Paris for high fashion.
Tyra became well known in the fashion modeling industry and become one of the world’s top supermodels. She got the chance to do 25 runway shows when she was in Paris. Hence, if the model lookout did not refer her, she would have never gotten the chance to travel to Paris and become a runway model and gain experience and fame in the modeling industry. Therefore, through this referral, Tyra got much fame and experience in the modeling industry by working with high-end fashion designers. Furthermore, Tyra had good relationships with John Singleton, director of Boyz N the Hood.
Through this connection, Tyra was able to begin an acting career and appeared in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and made a screen debut in Singleton’s Higher Learning, where media stated that she got the role because she was his girlfriend at the time. Hence, the connections that Tyra made helped her with mobility moving from modeling career to acting career. For instance, meeting the person who had great connections with the high-fashion industry made her move to Paris and start a successful modeling career as a runway model for designers and her acting career began when she had good relationships with Singleton.
In addition, Tyra’s mother, Caroline London was Tyra’s informal mentor because she helped her guide and supported her modeling passion and told her to do what she likes when she was deciding to go to Paris. Tyra’s career story was career as resource because of her experience and qualifications. Tyra had the qualifications that a model needs. Tyra had the height and figure and due to this reason she was spotted by a model lookout and referred to a high-fashion modeling career in Paris. In Paris, Tyra gained more knowledge and experience in the modeling industry.
However, due to her ethnicity she did go through struggles in her career. In the modeling industry, in the 1990s, there was a conception of only one black top model and due to this reason Tyra left Paris when tension rose between her and the other famous model, Naomi Campbell as only one model could be selected. Therefore, Tyra went though discrimination throughout her modeling career. However, Tyra did not give up and went back to the United States and continued modeling as a swimsuit and lingerie model where she was more acceptable at the time.
This taught Tyra to be self-reliant which helped her in achieving her goals-top models can be black and there can be more than one black model. This increased her strive for success. As a result, after her struggles, in 1996, Tyra was the first black model to appear on GQ. Sports illustrated Swimsuit Addition and signed contracts with Covergirl and Victoria Secret. Moreover, Tyra was mentioned in the People Magazine as 50 Most Beautiful People list numerous times, won the Supermodel of the Year Award (Michael Award) in 1997 and teen choice award for favorite supermodel.
In addition, Tyra Banks opened her own cosmetic beauty line ‘TYRA’ after she completed her course at Harvard. Through this business program, Tyra gained knowledge and experience on how the role of a CEO and other executives is before she opened her own brands and charity work. Many of Tyra’s resources come from the individuals she was surrounded by. Tyra was able to network with people in the acting industry when she was dating John Singleton and through him she received her first breakthrough. Moreover, when she had good relationships with Sean, she pursued her singing career as well.
Tyra’s modeling career success started through a referral but she made herself worldwide known through her own talent and never-giving up attitude which strived her to reach her goals. All of her skills and talents were transferable as she had the looks, confidence, and height to build her and achieve success. Many of her talents were through genetics and social background. Therefore, Tyra’s career, was from the start assisted and also constrained by forces beyond her control because in the 1990s there was not high demand for black model, only one was acceptable. I believe Tyra was able to achieve success because she was self-reliant.
She had the confidence in herself and wanted to prove to society that there can be more than one top black model – which she did in 1997. Even though Tyra received much fame in her career, gender and color played a huge factor. Racism was a big issue in the 1990s as Tyra was often told her look is “too ethnic” or we already have one black model and do not need another. Hence, this had an impact on Tyra, as she did not receive success and acceptance instantly since she was part of the minority society, as many modeling agencies would prefer a white to hire instead of another black model.