May 27, 2009
Contact:
Felecia Henderson
Associate Director
NSU Office of Public Affairs
(954) 262-5315
fhenders@nova.edu
Former Essence Magazine Editor to Address Graduates of NSU’S Fischler School of Education and Human Services
Susan L. Taylor to Speak at Commencement Ceremony on June 20
FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, FL. – Susan L. Taylor, editor emerita of Essence magazine and founder of National CARES Mentoring Movement, will deliver the keynote address during the 2009 commencement ceremony for Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Fischler School of Education and Human Services on Saturday, June 20.
More than 800 students are expected to participate in the ceremony, which will be held at the BankAtlantic Center located in Sunrise, Fl., beginning at 4:00 p.m. The commencement is for students graduating with master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degrees from NSU’s Fischler School.
Taylor is synonymous with Essence magazine, serving as its fashion and beauty editor, editor-in-chief and editorial director. Taylor joined Essence in 1970, and for 27 years she was considered to be the driving force behind one of the most celebrated black-owned businesses.
Taylor is 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. Her visionary leadership was acknowledged when she was presented with the NAACP President’s Award in 2006.
An avid supporter of numerous organizations dedicated to moving the black community forward, Taylor is the founder of the National CARES Mentoring Movement, whose goals include increasing high school graduation rates among African-American students, ending violence in black communities, and addressing the over-incarceration of young men and women.
Taylor 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.
