During a journalism career that spanned almost four decades, Sandy Banks has explored and explained the forces that shape our public conversations and impact our private lives.
In 36 years at the Los Angeles Times, she served as a reporter, editorial writer, assistant metropolitan editor and director of the newsroom’s diversity efforts. She was part of the team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
She is best known for twice-weekly Times columns that offered a personal perspective on social and economic issues of the day – including education, foster care, criminal justice, race, homelessness and mental health – and served as a voice for the ignored, unheard and unknown.
Her work has been honored by a broad range of journalism organizations and civic groups including the California Teachers’ Association, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic, Los Angeles County Commission For Women, and National Alliance on Mental Illness-Los Angeles.
She was named the Distinguished Print Journalist of 2013 by the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
In addition to her work in print, she is a popular public speaker and has been a frequent guest on CNN, PBS, NPR, the BBC and talk radio, providing commentary on a wide range of political and social issues.
Contact Banks at sandy.banks2016@gmail.com or (213) 373-4982.