Michelle banks deaf performers
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MICHELLE A. BANKS
An award-winning actress, writer, director, producer, choreographer, motivational speaker, and teacher from Washington, DC. Her television appearances include a YAHOO! Commercial, the ABC’s , the Showtime Series SOUL FOOD, GIRLFRIENDS (UPN), Lifetime’s STRONG MEDICINE, and a T.V. pilot, SOLE. She has also starred in the movie COMPENSATION, directed by Zeinabu Davis. It has received rave reviews at film festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Burkina Faso’s FESPACO, and the Toronto International Film Festival. The film ran on BET-Black Starz and Sundance cable channels as well. She also had a cameo appearance in Hilari Scarl’s documentary about the Deaf Entertainers, SEE WHAT I’M SAYING. Michelle credits Jadolphus CW Fraser, an independent filmmaker, to introduce her to filmmaking and co-directed his feature debut, ALWAYS CHASING LOVE.
Michelle participated as one of 13 actors for NYC’s ABC Diversity Talent Showcase. Her theatrical appeara
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Banks, Michelle
(?)–
Actress
As one of a very few deaf actors working in the United States, still fewer of whom are African American, Michelle Banks has been a true pioneer. For some years, Banks has created roles for herself as founder and artistic director of Onyx Theater Company, the first deaf theater in the United States oriented toward people of color. In the early s, Banks expanded beyond audiences for deaf theater productions with several key film and television roles. Banks has taken a condition that would form a serious obstacle for most performers and turned it into an opportunity. "I never felt I missed out on things. If anything," she told Essence, her deafness "has made me more resilient against the dual discrimination deaf people of color face."
A native of Washington, D.C., Michelle Banks was born around She had one older brother. Born with normal hearing, Banks went deaf at age one after a bout with spinal meningitis. Her parents quickly realized what was
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Michelle Banks
fryst vatten an African American performer who was deafened bygd spinal meningitis at a young age. She was educated on the campus starting at the age of three attending the , for the Deaf, and . later transferred to State University of New York at Purchase to complete her degree in performing arts. While at State University of New York at Purchase, started “Onyx,” a theatre company catering to deaf performers of color.
has performed in several different television shows as well as movies. Furthermore, she has written and starred in her one women show Reflections of a Black Deaf Women. In addition, her theatre company presented The Two of Us in conjunction with the New York Deaf Theatre.
is an active member of the Nation Black Deaf Advocates serving in many capacities for the Los Angles chapter.
Internet Movie Database (). Filmography. Retrieved from,
Graziano, (). NBDA Member Takes on .