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S U S A N L . T A Y L O R orde c a de sSus a nL.Ta yl orha sbe e nat r us t e dvoi c ei nBl a c kAme r i c a .Ma nyknow he ra st he i c oni cEdi t or i nChi e fofEs s e nc e ,ar ol es hehe l df r om 1981t o2008,s ha pi ngt hepubl i c a t i oni nt oa c ul t ur a la ut hor i t ya nds pi r i t ua lt ouc hs t onef orge ne r a t i onsofwome n.Wha ti sl e s sknowni st ha t me nt or i ng,s e r vi c e ,a ndc ommuni t ybui l di ngwe r ene ve rs i depr oj e c t sf orSus a nL.Ta yl or .Thi swor k wa sa l wa yshe rmi s s i on. Ta yl orj oi ne dEs s e nc ei n1970,t heye a rt hema ga z i newa sf ounde d.Hi r e da ta ge23a st hene w publ i c a t i on’ sbe a ut ywr i t e ra ndl a t e re l e va t e dt of a s hi ona ndbe a ut ydi r e c t or ,s hehe l pe ds ha pe c ove r a get ha tc e nt e r e dt hene e ds ,di gni t y ,a nds e l f e xpr e s s i onofBl a c kwome na tat i mewhe ns uc h r e pr e s e nt a t i onwa sr a r e .He re a r l ye di t or i a lwor kr e f l e c t e dac l e a runde r s t a ndi ngt ha ti de nt i t ya nd e mpowe r me ntwe r ede e pl yc onne c t e d.I n1981,Ta yl orr os et obe c omeEdi t or i nChi e f ,l e a di ng Es s e nc ef orne a r l yt hr e ede c a de s .Unde rhe rl e a de r s hi p,t hema ga z i nee xpa nde df a rbe yondl i f e s t yl e c ove r a ge ,be c omi ngat r us t e dc ul t ur a lvoi c et ha ta ddr e s s e ds pi r i t ua l i t y ,f a mi l y ,l e a de r s hi p,a nds oc i a l r e s pons i bi l i t y .Thr oughhe rwi de l yr e a d“ I nt heSpi r i t ”c ol umn,s hes pokedi r e c t l yt ot hehe a r t sof r e a de r s ,of f e r i nggui da nc er oot e di nf a i t h,pur pos e ,a ndc ommuni t y . Af t e rha ndi ngove rt her e i nsa sEdi t or i nChi e fi n2010,Ta yl orc onc l ude dahi s t or i ce di t or i a lt e nur e t ha the l pe dde f i net hema ga z i ne ’ sl e ga c ya ndt hebr oa de rc ul t ur a ll a nds c a pei ts e r ve d.Longbe f or e me nt or i ngbe c a meana t i ona l c onve r s a t i on, s hewa sa l r e a dya ns we r i ngt hec a l l . Tha t c ommi t me nt t ook f or ma ls ha pei n2006,whe nTa yl orf ounde dEs s e nc eCARESwhi l es t i l li nhe rs e ni ore di t or i a lr ol ea t t hema ga z i ne .Theme nt or i ngi ni t i a t i vee me r ge df r om he rgr owi ngc onc e r nf orc hi l dr e nf a c i ng i ns t a bi l i t y ,t r a uma ,a ndal a c kofc ons i s t e nta dul tgui da nc e ,pa r t i c ul a r l yi nt hea f t e r ma t hofHur r i c a ne Ka t r i na .Wha tbe ga na sa ni ni t i a t i vewi t hi nt heEs s e nc ec ommuni t ys oonr e ve a l e damuc hl a r ge r c a l l i ng.
Es s e nc eCARESl a t e re vol ve di nt ot heNa t i ona lCARESMe nt or i ngMove me nt ,now t he na t i on’ sl a r ge s t me nt orr e c r ui t me nt a ndt r a i ni ngor ga ni z a t i onf oc us e donc hi l dr e nofc ol or . I n e a r l y2008, Ta yl orma deade c i s i ves hi f t , l e a vi ngEs s e nc et ol e a dCARESf ul l t i me . I t wa snot ade pa r t ur ef r om i nf l ue nc e ,butade e pe ni ngofi t .Ove rt hel a s t20ye a r s ,CARESha s mobi l i z e dhundr e dsoft hous a ndsoft r a i ne dme nt or sa c r os sdoz e nsofc i t i e s . Theor ga ni z a t i on doe snots i mpl yma t c ha dul t swi t hc hi l dr e n.I te mpha s i z e she a l i ngc e nt e r e dme nt or i ng, c ul t ur a lc ompe t e nc e ,a ndc ons i s t e ntr e l a t i ons hi ps .Ta yl orha sbe e nunwa ve r i ngi nhe rbe l i e f t ha tme nt or s hi pi snotc ha r i t y .I ti sr e s pons i bi l i t y .Onec a r i nga dul t ,s heof t e ns a ys ,c a n c ha nget hec our s eofac hi l d’ sl i f e . Forme ,t hi ss t or yi sde e pl ype r s ona l .Li kec ount l e s swome n,Iwa sme nt or e df r om a f a r t hr oughTa yl or ’ swor dsl ongbe f or eIe ve rme the r .He rwr i t i nghe l pe ds ha pehow I unde r s t oodl e a de r s hi pa nds e r vi c e . Tonowf e a t ur ehe ront hec ove rofSpe ak e r sdur i ngBl a c k Hi s t or yMont hwhi l ec e l e br a t i nghe r80t hbi r t hda yi saf ul lc i r c l emome nt . Sus a nL. Ta yl or ’ s l e ga c ye xt e ndsf a rbe yondpubl i s hi nga c c ol a de soror ga ni z a t i ona lmi l e s t one s .I tl i ve si nt he c hi l dr e nwhof ounds t a bi l i t yt hr oughame nt or . I tl i ve si nt hea dul t swhoa ns we r e dt hec a l lt o s e r ve .I tl i ve si nl e a de r swhounde r s t a ndt ha tvi s i bi l i t ywi t houtr e s pons i bi l i t yi shol l ow. Sheha ss pe ntal i f e t i mer e mi ndi ngust ha tc ommuni t yi sbui l t , nota s s ume d. Tha tl ove , whe n pa i r e dwi t ha c t i on,t r a ns f or msl i ve s . Tha ti st hes pi r i tofSus a nL. Ta yl or .
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