Sat. Youth Panel Discussion 4:00PM:
Young Gifted, & Blessed but filled with difficult choices as a Christian
Mikki Taylor
Mikki Taylor was baptized into Christ in 1984 at the Newark Church of Christ, under the soul-winning leadership of the late Dr. Eugene Lawton. Since obeying the gospel Taylor has aimed to make a difference and set an example as a Proverbs 31 woman in sync with the Word across her many roles and responsibilities.
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Mikki Taylor is also an award-winning journalist, author, storyteller and trusted authority on beauty and style for women of color. Taylor, who has over 30 years’ experience in media, has made depicting the stories of women of color her life’s work.
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As the former Beauty & Cover Director at ESSENCE Magazine, Taylor casted and produced over 500 covers as well as its signature beauty pages to affirm and inspire the culture’s definition of beauty. She went on to become Editor-at-Large, where she hosted live events such as the ESSENCE Festival’s PowerStage and
Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey. Taylor also scripted and served as host for nearly a decade for the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards which is dedicated to honoring the power and presence of Black women in front of as well as behind the camera.
Today Taylor is the President of Satin Doll Productions, Inc., a strategic branding, and communications company that empowers individuals to identify their purpose, grow opportunities and understand what’s key to brand engagement. The multi-platform company is also dedicated to telling unexpected stories about women of color on screen. As a voting member of the Screen Actors Guild, (SAG-AFTRA), Taylor continues her commitment to supporting the acting community, and influencing the changing representation in film and television. She also supports the arts as a board member of the Women’s Association of NJPAC (Women@NJPAC) for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
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Taylor has authored such critically acclaimed books as Your Ultimate Path to Inner & Outer Beauty (Random House); Commander in Chic: Every Woman’s Guide to Managing Her Style Like a First Lady (Simon and Schuster); Editor-in-Chic: How to Style and Be Your Most Empowered Self (Simon and Schuster) and Force of Beauty: A Newark Family Memoir, an Audible Original, co-authored with filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper.