Susan Taylor

Former Editor-in-Chief of Essence Magazine; Most Influential Black Woman in Journalism

Travels From Travels From:
Minnesota, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
REQUEST BOOKING INFORMATION

Susan Taylor Biography

Susan L. Taylor is synonymous with Essence magazine, the brand she built as its fashion and beauty editor, editor-in-chief and editorial director. For 27 years, she authored of one of the magazine's most popular columns, In the Spirit. As the driving force behind one of the most celebrated Black-owned businesses for nearly three decades, Susan Taylor is a legend in the magazine publishing world.

Susan Taylor was the first and only African-American woman to be recognized by the Magazine Publishers of America with the Henry Johnson Fisher Award—the industry's highest honor and the first to be inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame. Susan Taylor is the recipient of the NAACP President's Award for visionary leadership and has honorary degrees from more than a dozen colleges and universities.

A fourth-generation entrepreneur, Susan grew up in Harlem working with her father in his women's clothing store. Ms. Taylor founded her own cosmetics company, a first for black women, which led to the beauty editor's position at Essence. She is the author of four books: "In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor"; "Lessons in Living"; "Confirmation: The Spiritual Wisdom That Has Shaped Our Lives," which she coauthored with her husband, Khephra Burns; and her most recent, "All About Love, Favorite Selections from In the Spirit on Living Fearlessly." Susan Taylor is a much sought-after speaker, inspiring hope and encouraging us to reclaim our lives and create sustainable communities.

Susan Taylor is an avid supporter of a host of organizations dedicated to moving the Black community forward, but her passion and focus today is the National CARES Mentoring Movement, a call to action, which she founded in 2006 as Essence Cares. The National CARES Mentoring Movement is a massive campaign to recruit one million able adults to help secure our children who are in peril and losing ground. "Not on our watch!" she says. "Our children are the mothers and fathers of our tomorrows, and their future is in our hands." The goals of the CARES Movement are to increase high school graduation rates among African American students, and end the violence in Black communities and the over-incarceration of our young. "Creating safe, top-tier schools in every underserved community in this nation is the mandate—and it's doable," Taylor says.

Susan Taylor is a co-founder of Future PAC, the first national political action committee devoted to providing a network of support and sources of funding for progressive African American women seeking federal and state-level political offices. She is co-chair with Danny Glover of Shared Interest, a capital campaign to raise money to build housing and encourage entrepreneurship in the rural areas of South Africa, and serves on the boards of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Girl Scouts of the USA. She has worked passionately to help restore the lives of people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region who were devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

BOOK Susan Taylor

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 06/04/2024.

Susan Taylor Videos

  • Essence Magazine's Susan Taylor Speaks at BE's Women of Power ...
    Essence Magazine's Susan Taylor Speaks at BE's Women of Power Summit. 3,427 views3.4K views. • Jul 19, 2017. 82. 0. Share. Save. 82 / 0 ...

Susan Taylor Books

  • All About Love: Favorite Selections from In The Spirit on Living Fearlessly
    All About Love: Favorite Selections from In The Spirit on Living Fearlessly
  • Lessons in Living
    Lessons in Living
  • In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings
    In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings

FAQs on booking Susan Taylor

  • How do I book Susan Taylor to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Susan Taylor for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Susan Taylor, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Susan Taylor or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Susan Taylor

    Speaking fees for Susan Taylor, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Susan Taylor are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Susan Taylor, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Susan Taylor speak about?

    Susan Taylor is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Black Heritage, Black History Month, Business, Journalism, Publishing.
  • Where does Susan Taylor travel from?

    Susan Taylor generally travels from Minnesota, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Susan Taylor’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Susan Taylor for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Susan Taylor for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Susan Taylor or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Susan Taylor is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Susan Taylor for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Susan Taylor generally travels from MN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Mitzi Miller, Lindsey Granger, Angela Burt-Murray, Ellen McGirt and Jamie Foster Brown. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Susan Taylor for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP