Sophisticated African

Shawvan and Laverne Banks at a wedding

At only 21-years-old, twin sisters Shawvan and Laverne Banks, have accomplished what others can only dream of attaining.

The Banks sisters, as they are often called,  have performed at the historic Apollo Theater in New York City, in which they came in at third place.

They have sung the National Anthem at the Oriole Park at Camden Yards and also at a soccer game for D.C. United, an American Soccer club. They have even auditioned for the NBC show, America’s Got Talent, and next they are heading up to California to audition for American Idol.

After a single conversation with the sisters, one will undoubtedly feel their driven and ambitious nature. It’s a big part of who they are and what they are determined to accomplish. 

But, although the sisters are confident and driven in their pursuit to become the next big R&B singers, only a few years ago, they would have never imagined that they would be on the road to attaining success; the very success they always feared since they were little.

Growing up, Laverne and Shawvan Banks experienced what would be every child’s nightmare, a father from hell and a mother, who did not believe in them.

“My mother sang in an amateur group when she was in Liberia,” said Laverne. “But, it never went anywhere. She grew up in a family, in which she was abused and mistreated. In her family, you weren’t allowed to have big dreams. They were quickly shot down, and you were instantly brought back to reality.”

From the time they were young, the sisters would always dream of becoming accomplished singers, because they found inspiration behind the confines of music. It was a form of escape, an imaginary land where they could flee from the daily hardships, which they experienced.

But though they wanted nothing more than to become great singers, they feared it with every single bone in their bodies; and for a good reason.

“I hated my life growing up,” said Laverne. “I felt that by chance, I had been adopted into a family with an atrocious beast as a father. My dad would always say to us that we were gigantic imbeciles and that we would never, ever be anything besides what we were at that moment. He would say that we would never succeed, and after several years of hearing this, we began to believe it. The biggest fear of attaining success is the possibility of losing it all and hearing my dad’s mocking laughter in the distance.”

The sisters sang in the church choir since they were young, but it wasn’t until they were eight that the twins knew they wanted to be singers; but as they grew older and experienced the massive blows life dealt from all angles of their lives, the sisters knew they did not want to be just any singers. They wanted to be inspirational.

“I always knew they were deeply gifted,” said Margaret Lukamba, choir coordinator for the New Home Baptist Church in Landover, Md. “Nobody really believed in them, but I saw greatness. On the first day, the door opened and in came these tiny little girls, just itsy-bitsy, you know. I thought to myself, shouldn’t these girls be in the children’s choir? But once I heard them sing, child, I was blown away. They weren’t perfect, but I know they had something special.”

Lukamba was among the minority when it came to believing in the twins’ ability to sing. Their very mother did not believe they could be singers. She didn’t even think they were going to be beautiful after she gave birth to them.

“About two years ago, my mom said, ‘You all are so beautiful. I thought you all were going to turn out ugly, but you are both very beautiful,’ said Shawvan. “We weren’t sure whether to smile or to cry. That was the first time she had called us beautiful.”

“After their grandmother died, their mom started believing in Shawvan and Laverne,” said Brittany Robinson, the twins’ best friend . “It almost felt like a miracle, because they could never get any form of gratification from her before. But, their grandmother always uplifted and encouraged them. She believed in her grandchildren, even when no one else would.”

“I owe every accomplishment I have made and every obstacle I have overcome to her,” said Laverne. She’s no longer with us, but she definitely kept us strong. Whenever my dad would knock us down, she would build us up. She was a beautiful person.”

Last year when the sisters sang at the Orioles Game at Camden Yards, their mother came out to support her daughters. She watched them closely with a proud smile on her face as they sang the national anthem.

“My grandmother would have been so happy to see us sing,” said Laverne. “But she would have been beyond excited to see my mother supporting us at the game.”

As for their father, he’s come a long way from the days when he used to consistently berate his daughters, but he is still yet to attend one of their performances.

“Through the hard times, dad has had a significant influence on our lives,” said Shawvan. He’s the reason we have struggled with the prospect of future success, but he is also the reason why we have triumphed and persevered to attain lasting success. We wouldn’t be where we are today, if not for all of our obstacles, which molded us into strong individuals.”

Photo by Success O.