Betty Banks was born and raised in Madison and lived in Greenbush until she was 5 years old, when her grandparents bought two houses on East Dayton Street. After graduating from Central High School, Betty embarked on a career dedicated to supporting families and empowering youth.
As co-founder of Club TNT (Today Not Tomorrow), an initiative she co-founded with the late Gaddi Ben Dan and Jeanne Erickson to empower people of color to share their own stories and report on community events, Banks spent decades helping countless youth build self-esteem and embrace positive lifestyles. In 1984, Banks with Gaddi Ben Dan, co-founded the Wisconsin Free Press, a community-based publication that pioneered the first-ever Black-owned newspaper in Madison to solicit and receive mainstream advertising. The duo also co-founded The Ambassador Times Journal, The Madison Times (before handing the keys to Betty Franklin-Hammonds), and VOICES newspaper.
Banks’ passion for preserving history led to the creation of ‘Stony The Road,’ a project celebrating African-American pioneers in Madison.Banks founded Project Babies with Erickson, which focuses on empowering families to take proactive roles in their children’s health and development. Overall, Banks has been involved in multiple endeavors and projects that support and strengthen families and inspire youth to be the best that they can be.