My name is Trina Parks and I was the first African American Bond girl; my character was Thumper. And I am a strict vegetarian, strict vegan, and I just love that you have Supreme Master Television.

Ms. Trina Parks is a greatly talented American performing artist and vegan. As we learned in part one of the show, she has trained under dance legend Martha Graham and has traveled around the world enthralling countless people with her natural talents in acting, singing, dancing, and original choreography.

Diamonds never lie to me
For when love is gone
They lustre on

Ms. Trina Parks is perhaps most well known for her memorable role in the James Bond film “Diamonds Are Forever,” starring Academy Award-winning Scottish actor Sean Connery as James Bond.

You’re best known is being the first African American female in the James Bond movie. Please can you share your memories of being in that film?

There’s so many. Working in a film with a big name was okay. I mean it wasn’t, “Oh, I’m doing a James Bond!” No, it was like, “Okay, I am doing a film,” and I approached it as if I was doing Broadway, same thing, any theater. I didn’t care who was in it. “Yes! I will do it!” When you’re young, and in my 20s, and I’m saying, “Oh great,” and we get on this set. Bill, the stuntman, at stage, he was directing. And he said, “Show me some things here to see what you can do and that.” So after I fall on the couch, I turn around and I do, if you remember, I do that twist thing. I made it something. “Okay, now let’s try this” – and he kept it. So all that is mine. But that’s what I am used to doing on stage, I do my own thing.

Ms. Park’s role not only required her being extraordinarily fit physically but also demanded a display of martial arts – which she demonstrated flawlessly. Thanks to her talents, her tough yet beautiful character, “Thumper” was a match for any opponent.

So obviously you needed a lot of fitness to be working in the profession, both the dancing and the acting. Have you always been so fit ?

Well, dancing helps. A lot of Dunham technique is karate, and I have to give her credit for that. And then I took hours at the gym. But they wanted someone that knew just not dance, but could act too it helps.

As then and now, Ms. Trina Parks glows with radiant health, muscular strength, energy, and grace on and off screen. But lifelong professional dancing is only part of the explanation. Ms. Parks has been on a plant-based diet for more than 30 years. What goes in always shows on your face. A lot of people that have problems with their skin and all. It’s what they eat, most of the time. If you’re in line in your life with good spirit and God-like qualities, you’ll bring that to you and it will show through your body, through your face and through your actions and all that. And that’s the way I like to be.

Apart from reasons of health and wellbeing, Ms. Parks is vegan because she is an animal lover, refusing to take part in the killing, confining, or torturing of any animals.

How can you digest something, after you see that happening? To me, it is very cruel. You wouldn’t want it to happening to your child or your mother or your father. I don’t eat fish either; fish is poison to me that will get into your body when it’s killed.

Ms. Parks’ compassionate meat-free diet has often influenced others around her to examine their own lifestyle choices.

Most women I can think of, dancer friends of mine, they go out to eat, and I say just try it. We’d go out and I have some veggie chili or veggie hamburger, something like that and, “Hey, it’s not too bad. It’s filling. Yeah, the taste is good!” That’s happened a few times with me.

I did an autograph signing. It was the New Green Life Expo. There were celebrities in another room and we were signing our autograph. And I had my autographs from the movie “Diamonds Are Forever.” I felt so good to be a part of that kind of situation, oh yeah, natural, because I don’t push my being a veggie to anybody. I just say, “This is the way I am,” and I felt good about it. And I am at this age and most people think I’m younger than I am.

I’m vegan. And also what goes into your body comes out. And that's why I feel, so being green and being natural is always the best way.

Don’t mean a thing All you got to do is sing! Equally at ease as a dancer and creator of dances, she choreographed the 1975 Tony Award-winning musical “The Wiz.” For Ms. Parks, dancing is a lifelong love that will never be dimmed.

What does being able to dance actually mean to you?

It has given me so much experience of meeting people. People from all over the world that just appreciate what you do, not because of who you are or how popular you are. And that’s been such a God given joy to me, a blessing that He has given me. He’s given me my life. I am here to do for people and to create and give to people what God has given me.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

For Trina Parks, with remarkable God-given gifts comes a sense of duty to share them with others. Not only does she perform to make audiences happy, Ms. Parks is dedicated to teaching the next generations of performing artists.

What is your goal in teaching dance to others?

Oh, to know all types of techniques, and that’s how I was trained. I was trained mock ballet, started ballet when I was eight, nine years old, Brooklyn Academy of Music, so I know that technique, the western technique, the ballet, the jazz. We would learn character, which is like Spanish. I was dancing African before I even started modern. So rounded technique to me is so adamant for you to know. I’ve taught many ballet dancers of course the Dunham technique.

Through her wealth of knowledge and experience in the world of dance, the graceful Ms. Trina Parks teaches Modern, Jazz, Broadway, African, and Haitian dance to all age groups and credits her training with another renowned dance instructor, Katherine Dunham.

My goal is to have my students or whoever I’m teaching, to know the technique of where it came from. Even I’m teaching Graham or if I’m [teaching] western technique, or if I’m teaching African, Caribbean, Brazilian – Haitian is the base of the Dunham technique. Especially in a workshop to the dancers they can see how rounded you really should be.

Is it true that you’ve also taught dance to special education students and church groups at rehabilitation centers, because that is very kind hearted and caring of you. What inspired you to do that?

Well actually I can’t take the credit, because I was teaching in the New York public school system. But it’s a section where they have special teachers that are doing special art projects and you’re hired into different schools throughout the Brooklyn and Bronx area. And they gave me one of the schools. I had taught before, especially kids, but I didn’t know I was really going to have so many, and this time I really had some people that were in wheelchairs.

I didn’t give them any kind of special treatment, because then I think it makes them feel like, “Maybe I can’t do it.” So let’s just go ahead and try it. So they were just laughing and I just laughed with them like a kid. So they would just have fun and I realized that’s how you do it. Just let it go, let them do, let them see, let me see how you can do with this music, and just try this step and see how you can move with this, just move. And that’s the way I like to be. Believe in the spirit and be good to people and help people in a way they can.

The way I do in my career is helping kids that can’t afford to pay $35 or $40 for a class, when I teach professional. So I teach them for way less through another organization. And I love to see the kids grow. A lot of kids that I’ve been teaching for years and years that are not professional and in schools, have so much potential and I love to see them grasp that little time that I had with them, that I can give them. And they love the naturalness of it, the natural dance that comes out to them.

Giving of her time and energy to help others be as inspired as she is, Ms. Parks strives to bring joy to others. In 2010, she attended Supreme Master Television’s 4th anniversary concert as a presenter for a performance featuring Supreme Master Ching Hai’s poetry. She expressed at the time how much she resonated with Supreme Master Ching Hai’s endeavors, through art and other means, to uplift the world.

Supreme Master Ching Hai has a very earthy and loving and God-like quality to all of her poems and herself in general. She is that. And she is about love, and I love her feelings about the war. And you don't need war if you had that love for each other.

Upon receiving a specially autographed copy of Supreme Master Ching Hai’s newest book “From Crisis to Peace – The Organic Vegan Way is the Answer,” Ms. Parks sent the following message to Supreme Master Television: I received the book yesterday. It’s always something so very special and right up my alley of things, that I believe in and follow… what the Supreme Master and your staff are about. Thank you again and again for your gifts of kindness and your continued support of me in all ways. Blessings, Trina

Our thanks, Ms. Trina Parks, and applause for being an outstanding artist with a humble heart, selfless spirit, and willingness to share your God-given talents with the world. Wishing you many heavenly blessings in all your versatile endeavors to bring beauty and happiness to generations of people everywhere.

America, my home sweet home!

Lively viewers, we appreciate your time with us today for the final part of our two-part series featuring famous vegan performance artist Trina Parks. Coming up next is Between Master and Disciples. May your heart dance to celestial sunshine by day the shimmering stars at night.

Hi, my name is Trina Parks. You're watching Supreme Master Television. Be Veg, Go Green 2 Save the Planet!