Biography
Mikki Taylor is Black America's unofficial, yet profoundly influential, visual griot. Through her unparalleled 30+ year career at Essence Magazine she has shaped the visual narrative of Black excellence and centered the culture’s perspective in the creation and interpretation of compelling storytelling and covers. Often serving as creative director, historian, and cultural curator, Taylor understands the power of image and story to affirm, inspire, and define and has had the joy of collaborating with the most powerful Change-Agents - from Rosa Parks to Beyonce.
Taylor, who served as the Magazine's groundbreaking Beauty & Cover Director, has made depicting the stories of women of color her life’s work because of her strong desire to bring the beauty, strengths, and phenomenal achievements of womanhood to life. At Essence Taylor casted and produced over 500 covers as well as its signature beauty pages to affirm and inspire the culture’s definition of beauty and wellbeing. As an advocate for honesty in beauty, her work gave birth to product lines, industry studies, the realization of diversity and inclusion in advertising and retail initiatives directed to women of color. In 2010 Taylor became Editor-at-Large for the publication.
A visionary producer and host, Taylor spent nearly a decade scripting and hosting the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards, convening global icons such as Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, Angela Bassett, Shonda Rhimes, Tracee Ellis Ross, Sidney Poitier, Spike Lee and others. Her unique ability to bridge generations and industries has made her a trusted architect of meaningful cultural moments. As a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and an industry trailblazer she recognized the importance of unifying and acknowledging key contributors within the industry. As such, she brought together a diverse group that included actresses Emma Stone and Amy Adams, film director James Cameron and a host of Hollywood’s A-list directors and film makers to honor Black women in front of and behind the camera. In her continuing work as an advocate, Taylor continues her commitment to supporting the acting community and influencing the changing representation in film and television.
As a media personality and consulting producer, Taylor documents Black Girl Magic for millions. Taylor is featured in such ground-breaking docu-series as Black Beauty Effect and Supreme Models, both airing on Netflix, as well as HBO Max’ & OWN TV’s Time of ESSENCE (which chronicles ESSENCE Magazine’s rise to prominence and Taylor’s radical contributions); A & E Network’s documentary James Brown: Say it Loud, executive produced by Mick Jagger and Questlove, and PBS We Want the Funk. In her work of celebrating the legacy of Black filmmaking, cultural contributions and igniting conversations that shape the future of cinema, Taylor is the Consulting Producer of the forthcoming documentary, Romare Bearden: A Life in Collage
Taylor is also the President of Satin Doll Productions, Inc., which is dedicated to telling unexpected stories about women of color. She also supports the arts as a member of the Women's Association of NJPAC (Women@NJPAC) for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the anchor cultural institution for the city of Newark and the state of New Jersey.
Taylor gained international experience in Europe representing the distinct concerns of Black women for L’Oreal, Proctor and Gamble, Yves St. Laurent and others. She empowered Black female entrepreneurs in Botswana at the special invitation of DeBeers and worked alongside First Lady Neo Jane Masisi the Former First Lady of Botswana. Taylor also served as an empowerment instructor at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, a role she accepted at Oprah Winfrey's invitation. In this position, Taylor focused on transforming potential into purpose, working to nurture academically gifted girls from South Africa's most impoverished communities. Her role extended beyond traditional teaching; it involved holistic mentorship. Taylor designed a curriculum that integrated critical thinking with social development. This approach created a supportive environment where students could build their confidence, embrace their strengths and possess the skills necessary to excel as future leaders.
Taylor has appeared on Good Morning America, NBC Today, The View and such networks as CNN, CBS, OWN and BET and has worked with some of the world’s most fascinating and influential people, including President Barack Obama and 1st Lady Michelle Obama, Attorney Ben Crump, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, Alicia Keys and more. Taylor has been a featured voice at with the Tribecca Film Festival, the Toronto Film Festival and the Newark Black Film Festival.
Taylor has authored such critically acclaimed books as Self-Seduction (Random House), Commander in Chic, and Editor-in-Chic (Simon and Schuster) and her latest, Force of Beauty: A Newark Family Memoir, an Audible Original, co-authored with filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper. The first-person narrative reflects on how Taylor became a "force of beauty" who changed an industry, and a leading trailblazer in the fight for equity and fairness for women of color everywhere.
