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Tyra Banks has accomplished much in her
relatively young life and career. Her role as a barrier breaker in the
modeling world is one of the defining aspects of her celebrity and
legacy for many years. But over the last decade, she has emerged as a
media mogul and one of the most powerful women in television. “I
studied,” she says adamantly. “I looked at the [modeling] industry as a
business.” Banks carried that business savvy into the media arena and
the results have been extraordinary. Her work was recently honored with
a Living Legends Award from the National Urban League during the
Whitney M. Young Jr. Awards Gala in Chicago. Banks acknowledged those
that came before her and those she hopes to inspire to follow in her
footsteps.
Urban League
President Marc Morial presented the executive producer/show host/model
with the award. Emil Jones Jr., former State Senator of Illinois and
Alexis Herman, NUL Trustee and Chairman/CEO of New Ventures, LLC also
received Living legend Awards.
3 Reasons Tyra Banks Deserves to be Honored:
1. Her show “America’s Next Top Model,” has become the most watched
program on the CW network, helping to launch the careers of models Eva
Marcille, Adrienne Curry, Toccora, and more. At the age of 35, she has
become one of the most powerful women in television. “The Tyra Banks
Show” and “ANTM” are among the most popular shows on network
television. Banks is executive producer and host/star of both. She also
co-produces “True Beauty” along with actor Ashton Kutcher.
2. In the 1990s, Tyra helped shatter many perceptions of what black
models could and could not do. She was one of the most in-demand models
of the decade, and became the first black model to grace the cover of
Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue.
3. She has shown tremendous brand and business acumen while building
her entertainment company and she emphasizes to young black women the
importance of looking past glamour to achieve worthwhile goals. She
positively uses her visibility as a platform to discuss various issues,
from perceptions of beauty, to obesity, homophobia, and racism. – todd williams
