Former Crisis Intervention Counselor to victims of domestic violence, people who were suicidal, incest survivors and sex offenders. Commitment to violence cessation led her to Produce Radio at WBAI- Pacifica Radio in NYC. Produced programs, including “Rape, Incest & Battery- Making the Connections.”

Awarded Dean’s Fellowship to NYU Tisch School of the Arts -Graduate Film Program. Second-year short film won her the Director’s Guild of America, East Award for Best African-American Student Filmmaker. Received M.F.A. from NYU Tisch School of the Arts-Graduate Film Program.

Awarded IFP/NY Emerging Narrative Award & Slamdance Screenwriting Award for feature length screenplay The Parachute Factory. The script explores violence as a “rite of passage” for young people in America.

In 2010, produced and directed a feature length documentary about the Aboriginal Artist Richard Bell. A dispute about the film resulted in litigation. In 2014, a U.S. Federal Court granted judgment in favor of Steele and against Bell and the Milani Gallery.

Currently, in development on feature length screenplays: The Parachute Factory and Cry Laughing, writer and director on both.

At work on a memoir, which includes observations about America, race, and pop culture.

Contributor to Shadow & Act/IndieWire and Ebony.com. Article topics include: “The death and genius of Whitney Houston,” “Quentin Tarantino’s- Django Unchained (Slavery in the White Male Imagination).” Writings are observations and critiques of the culture and cinema. Follow Tanya Steele on Twitter at @digtanya. Or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SteeleInk. Or visit digtanya.com.