Candace Chambers
Blue & White Flash / News Editor
“There are more stars in the universe than are grains of sand on all the beaches in the world combined,” philanthropist Susan Taylor said profoundly to her audience at Jackson State University on March 22, to show just how unique they are.
At the last event of Women’s Emphasis Week, celebrated from March 18-22, 2013, Taylor, Editor Emeritus of Essence magazine, provided words of wisdom in the JSU Student Center Ballroom A, for relationships, career goals, and for living one’s full potential as a divine creation of God.
The night began with a welcome by student chair of Women’s Emphasis Week, Kachelle Pratcher, followed by a brief introduction of the captivating speaker.
Taylor said it was time to focus on women and their contributions. Her message to the women in attendance, “You are more than enough. You are human and divine, blessed just the way you are.” “Sometimes we forget that it’s really a gift …to be born black and female is an extraordinary opportunity and comes with challenges as well,” said Taylor.
Throughout her years at Essence magazine, Taylor served as beauty editor for 10 years and 27 years as editor in chief. From a weekly television show to the Essence Music Festival, she helped in transforming the magazine into more than a publication on a coffee table.
“When I joined Essence, we had 50, 000 readers. When I left we had 8 million,” said Taylor.
As a single mother working at Essence magazine, she spoke of her failed first marriage and told the audience that pain is a natural part of life.
“Pain is natural. Suffering is choice,” she said. When problems arise, she challenged everyone to ask themselves, “What have you come to
teach me?”
Taylor spoke passionately about what she said is “a call to action.” The National Cares Mentoring Movement, founded in 2006 by Taylor as Essence Cares, is a mentoring program for African-American youth founded to improve overwhelming statistics in areas of illiteracy, poverty, and incarcerations rates.
With mentor recruitment circles all across the nation, Taylor stated that “the movement is a call to action; to our community, to get involved in the lives of young ones…It’s really our challenge to put things back together.”
Taylor spoke directly to young women about valuing their bodies and being happy because they are a divine original.
“Happiness is what you host and you bring it with you wherever you go. And I want women to not be doormats for men… love is a magnet. You want to love yourself just the way you are,” said Taylor.
Taylor answered questions from the audience. Some asked about internships and ways to identify mentors in the community. She encouraged the audience to seek mentors in their own communities and be specific in searching.
Taylor said, “There are people that can mentor you in different areas in your life. You want to look at your life and see what you need and move forward and get that kind of information.”
Taylor left lasting words with the audience about redefining beauty, being healthy in mind, body, and spirit, and embracing the beauty on the inside. When asked about her own beauty she said, “I don’t really think about my beauty. I look in the mirror and I say I’m 67 years old and I’m liking what I see. And that’s a good thing.”
JSU students said they truly appreciated the night with Taylor and the motivation to become better women.
Martha Taplin, a senior biology/pre-medicine major from Jackson, Miss., said, “I appreciated the female leaders she listed.”
Friends Lianna Norris, a sophomore biology/pre-medicine major from Grand Rapids, Mich. and Arekia Bennett, a sophomore physics major from Jackson, Miss., were inspired by the speech.
“As friends, we inspire each other. We preach this same message almost every week. Until we heard her say it, we said you know what, this is really good,” said Bennett. “I feel that I’ve been at a standstill, and this kind of woke me up. Just to be self-motivated, and not to get discouraged because it happens a lot when you do get discouraged. A lot of what she said today will be a sense of uplifting and it’s good to be able to be there for yourself.”
Bennett added, “I think the biggest thing would be to step outside of your comfort zone. Be open to try new things and open to listen to people, and open to branch off .”
