GRAND Magazine - February 2009 - (Page 16) cover story One in a Susan Taylor’s CARES reaches beyond her love for her own granddaughter By ARnESA A. HowEll million S uSAn l. TAyloR. To many, her name and face are PHoToS CouRTESy of SuSAn l. TAyloR synonymous with Essence Magazine, the African-American women’s magazine where as a single mother she started as a freelance beauty editor in 1970. It would take her 11 years to rise to editor in chief before climbing to the top of the masthead in 2000, where she remained as editorial director for another seven years. But that is only one facet of her life. Taylor stepped down as the magazine’s editorial director last year, and, armed with her perpetual title, editor in chief emeritus, begins a new journey, propelled by valuable lessons and changes that have enriched her life—including being a grandmother to Amina King, 10. Taylor relishes being a guiding force in her granddaughter’s life, instilling “wisdom and values.” But one child is not enough—Taylor wants to extend love and encouragement to one million vulnerable children in the U.S. This passion for making a difference in the lives of all children led her to create the National CARES Mentoring Movement, a mission dedicated to recruiting one million mentors to help “save and secure” the lives of at-risk African-American youth. (To date, CARES has signed on more than 175,000 mentors.) “Each day, more young African-American youngsters in failing schools are falling into peril. Nearly 60 percent of black fourth grad- 16 GRAND FEBRUARY 2009
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