How Casting Director Tracy 'Twinkie' Byrd Found Her 'Voice to Direct' (Guest Column) Tracy 'Twinkie' Byrd, provided by Feb. 28, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail Five years ago, I decided to become a 49-year-old student of Richard Lawson Studios in his PDP 60 (Professional Development Program) class. I was the oldest student in his class at the time. While studying, I learned so many things about myself and my own points of view. I also learned that I am a storyteller and how storytelling has touched my life. Raised in a mostly white neighborhood in Brooklyn, the same neighborhood that Chris Rock’s character was bussed to on the hit show “Everybody Hates Chris,” I learned the importance of having a Black voice and how to use the compelling truth of Black History in my work. Through asking questions and seeking knowledge of self, this became a burning passion.