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Forbes
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
How Susan L. Taylor's Return Signals The Power Of Legacy-Driven Media
Susan L. Taylor, photographed for Essence's 55th anniversary issue. When Michelle Ghee posted 'I love my Black job' on X (formerly Twitter), the backlash was swift and telling. As Chief Content Officer at Essence, Ghee had committed the apparent transgression of celebrating her role at a Black-owned company. And the reaction exposed more than discomfort but further pointed to the broader cultural tension around Black self-determination and authenticity in corporate spaces. 'I got so many people coming for me,' Ghee recalled. 'I was like, I can say I love my Black job. I do. I have a Black job. I work for a Black company. I represent a Black brand. I'm a Black woman in America.' That kind of clarity—the refusal to apologize for who you are—sums up the ethos driving Essence at 55. In a moment where diversity initiatives are facing systematic rollback and cultural storytelling is increasingly commodified, the brand's milestone is less a celebration and more a recalibration. It is exactly the type of inspiration that the team at Essence needed for their 55th anniversary as they looked at the past and repositioned for the next chapter of cultural and commercial leadership. Not many voices could embody that mission more powerfully than Susan L. Taylor, and the most telling measure of her impact came within hours of Essence announcing her return to the cover. 'I just couldn't even imagine the number of people who've reached out to me in the last maybe 20 hours,' she said. 'All these people really have my cell number and my email address. What a surprise and a joy.' It wasn't marketing hype but a reminder of what many brands have yet to fully grasp: that emotional investment, cultivated over decades, drives audience engagement in ways data points and targeting algorithms cannot. The timing is intentional. As New Orleans prepares to host the annual Essence Festival, a multi-million-dollar cultural and economic engine, Taylor's reappearance aligns with a brand evolution inspired by respect for the past and a desire to innovate for the future. 'This was never just about nostalgia,' Ghee said. 'We couldn't do that unless we talked about the past and how powerful and important this brand is and what it's going to become.' Taylor's return coincides with the launch of Essence 360, a new digital platform aimed at building a daily relationship with Black women. Together with expanded offerings on CTV, YouTube and social media, it reflects a strategic shift, not necessarily away from the magazine's roots, but deeper into its core mission. That mission also comes to life through the Essence Festival itself, which has now become an epitome for Black economic empowerment. This accessibility philosophy doesn't take away from the Festival's economic value; quite the opposite. The Essence Festival consistently attracts about $300 million annually in tourism dollars for the city of New Orleans, with the most recent official number being $346.3 million. Since 2022, Essence Fest has generated nearly $1 billion in tourism revenue for the city of New Orleans. The strategy is brilliant in its simplicity: create premium experiences that fund free community programming, building deep loyalty that spans generations and income levels. Susan L. Taylor in a shimmering gold and rose-colored robe, hands raised toward a radiant halo ... More headpiece, against a soft gray backdrop. 'It's in the second poorest state in the country. And yet, we keep the daytime sessions free,' Taylor explained, speaking of the festival. 'Because it's for the people. For nourishment.' That word 'nourishment' comes across as particularly apt considering Taylor's legacy. When she became editor-in-chief in 1981, spirituality had no place in mainstream women's media. So she made room for it. 'I didn't have the same training as the editors before me,' she said. 'So I wrote about what I needed to hear. And what I needed was Spirit.' The result was In the Spirit, a monthly column that ran for 27 years and helped define Essence as more than a publication and became a safe space for Black women. 'Not once did anyone complain about me writing about God, Allah, or the Holy Spirit,' Taylor said. 'Never. People needed that space. And so did I.' Taylor's column helped readers to reclaim their stories, and her approach to leadership, inspired by listening to what the readers wanted, modeled a framework for mission-driven, values-led media at scale. 'There would be no Michelle Ghee had I not read In the Spirit,' Ghee said. 'She showed us how to lead with power, grace and most of all, soul. She was the voice, the editorial prowess, but also the soul of this brand.' Susan L. Taylor and Michelle Ghee smile and embrace, wearing bold yellow and coral outfits, posed ... More against a soft gray-blue backdrop. Taylor's influence, however, extends far beyond editorial tone. Her radical premise, that authentic listening could yield better insights from readers than focus groups ever could, helped shape the modern Black women's media playbook. 'We were creating a stage that didn't exist,' Taylor said. 'We're talking about a place where sisters, Black women who were as Black as night and those who were as white as snow, with blue eyes and blonde hair, sisters with noses as broad as the Nile, could see themselves in all of their reality and beauty and joy and all the many different manifestations of Black womanhood.' That vision is now relatable across the digital and entrepreneurial ecosystems where Black women are building spaces for themselves and one another. 'It's what we're doing now as never before,' Taylor said. 'We're turning to ourselves and to one another. Everywhere you turn, Black women are convening.' And increasingly, that sense of community is shaping how resources move. That's why the business implications of Taylor's philosophy deserve attention. Her focus on circulating money within Black communities—'We have to spend our money among ourselves. It's one of the most important things we can do right now'—points to a larger vision: an ecosystem built on self-reliance, intention and sustainability. Across industries, institutions once seen as permanent are being restructured, scaled back or erased. Essence offers a rare counterexample. Its growth from startup to enduring platform shows what staying power looks like, especially when legacy is no longer a guarantee. Essence at 55 carries the weight of its history, but it's moving with intention, shaped by the women who continue to show up for it and for each other. And perhaps no words capture that momentum better than the ones Susan L. Taylor would offer her younger self: 'Keep stepping forward, heads high. Walk strong and proud.'
Arab News
21-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi women lead conversation on leadership, investment and cultural power at Fortune summit
RIYADH: The influence Saudi women increasingly are having on global culture, policies, investment and innovation was in the spotlight on Wednesday during the second and final day of the Fortune Most Powerful Women International Summit in Riyadh. In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Princess Noura bint Faisal reflected on her own unexpected path to cultural leadership, the strategic value of soft power, and the expanding economic role of the creative sector in the Kingdom. 'I never thought I would be in the creative world,' she said. 'But when I moved back to Saudi after Vision 2030 launched, I saw an opportunity to build something meaningful.' Her journey since then has included the launch of Saudi Fashion Week in 2018 and helping to establish the Fashion Commission at the Ministry of Culture. 'We created infrastructure that didn't exist: new jobs, policies and real career paths for people with creative talent,' Princess Noura said. Princess Noura emphasized the important need to integrate culture across all industries, from retail and the food and beverage sector to sports and corporate strategy: 'Culture isn't a fixed definition. It's how you express your identity and it can absolutely be monetized if it's supported by the right business model.' The concluding day of the summit featured a strong focus on entrepreneurship, economic diversification and sectoral transformation. Noor Sweid, founder and managing partner of Global Ventures, offered insights into her company's regional approach to tech investment. Rather than sticking to fixed sectors, she said it backs sectors that have long been 'underbuilt,' including financial technology in 2018, healthcare in 2020 and, more recently, manufacturing. One standout example of this approach, she said, is a company that digitizes spare-part inventories for oil and gas businesses using 3D printing, thereby resolving supply-chain gaps and sustainability challenges in real time. Her comments were complemented by insights from Aidan Madigan-Curtis, general partner at Eclipse Ventures, who discussed the ways in which geopolitical shocks and climate pressures are forcing venture capitalists to refocus on industrial technology. 'VCs like to say they're long-term but they're also deeply cyclical,' she noted, arguing that the future lies in reinventing the ways in which the world makes, moves and powers things, taking into account developments such as automation and advanced manufacturing. Cultural transformation through sport was a major theme during a panel moderated by Lama Alhamawi of Arab News, titled 'New Heights.' Adwa Al-Arifi, the Saudi assistant minister for sports affairs, said that since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016, physical activity among Saudis has increased from just 13 percent to more than 50 percent. The Kingdom's National Sports Strategy focuses on mass participation, youth development and elite performance, three pillars that have already led to the achievement of some historic milestones in women's sports, such as the qualification of taekwondo athlete Dunya Abutaleb for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Several women shared their personal journeys in sports. Zamzam Al-Hammadi, who competes in the mixed martial arts Professional Fighters League, credited her mother for inspiring her career. Boxing expert Rasha Al-Khamis told how early support from her father gave her the confidence to pursue combat sports. Mashael Al-Obaidan said Saudi Arabia's desert culture sparked her love of motorsports. Aalia Al-Rasheed, head of women's football at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, spoke about the explosive growth in grassroots programs for the sport and revealed that more than 70,000 girls now play in school leagues. Other sessions explored the economic and creative value of the fashion industry. During one on-stage discussion, Princess Noura reflected on what she considered one of the most notable outcomes of recent reforms in the country, the formal recognition of creative professionals. 'Before Vision 2030, designers weren't even able to register their own commercial licenses,' she said. 'There was no such thing as a fashion business. Today, designers can register as fashion professionals, operate legally and access support structures that didn't exist before.' This shift is emblematic of Saudi Arabia's broader cultural transformation, in which creativity is no longer only a passion but also a viable and valued career path, she added. The day's sessions together highlighted the expanding leadership roles of Saudi women across diverse sectors and the determination of authorities in the Kingdom to turn strategic pillars such as culture, investment, sport and technology into economic engines.
