Goldie Taylor

{{Infobox person

|name=Goldie Taylor

|occupation=Journalist, author, television personality

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1968|7|18}}

|birth_place=University City, Missouri, U.S.

| education = {{nowrap|Emory University (BA)}}

| years_active =

| alias =

| title =

| relatives =

| partner =

| credits =

| URL = {{URL|http://goldietaylor.com}}

}}

Goldie Taylor (born July 18, 1968) is an American author and opinion writer based in Atlanta, Georgia.[http://www.thegrio.com/news/grio-contributor-goldie-taylor-named-her-abuser-to-shame-him.php Thegrio.com] She is an editor-at-large of The Daily Beast.{{cite news|title=The Daily Beast poaches Mediaite editor in chief Andrew Kirell|url=http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2015/09/8576866/daily-beast-poaches-mediaite-editor-chief-andrew-kirell|accessdate=September 17, 2015|work=Politico Media|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150917171621/http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2015/09/8576866/daily-beast-poaches-mediaite-editor-chief-andrew-kirell|archive-date=September 17, 2015|url-status=dead}}

Early life

Taylor was born in University City, Missouri, and raised in East St. Louis, Illinois. Her father was murdered on November 5, 1973, when she was 5, leaving her mother Mary to raise her and her siblings alone. She attended public schools in the metro St. Louis area before moving to Atlanta and graduating from Cross Keys High School in 1986. Taylor was an active-duty US marine trained in public affairs broadcasting at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. She received an honorable discharge on medical grounds. Taylor then gained admission to Emory University in Atlanta, where she studied political science and international affairs.

Career

=Political=

Taylor worked on a number of political campaigns in the 1990s, including the unsuccessful 1996 campaign by Guy Millner, who ran as a Republican for post of United States senator.{{cite news|last=Crugnale|first=James|title=TheGrio Editor Goldie Taylor To Mediaite: 'My Own Personal Politics Are Quite Conservative'|url=http://www.mediaite.com/tv/thegrio-editor-goldie-taylor-to-mediaite-%E2%80%98my-own-personal-politics-are-quite-conservative%E2%80%99/|accessdate=March 17, 2014|newspaper=Mediaite|date=November 30, 2011}}

In later years Taylor joined Kasim Reed for mayor{{Cite web |url=http://www.atlantamagazine.com/agenda/2013/09/12/why-everyone-cares-what-goldie-taylor-has-to-say |title=Atlantamagazine.com |access-date=2014-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130916213011/http://www.atlantamagazine.com/agenda/2013/09/12/why-everyone-cares-what-goldie-taylor-has-to-say |archive-date=2013-09-16 |url-status=dead }}—where she served as Communications Director.{{Cite web |url=http://kasimreed.com.seanic11.net/7808.html |title=Kasimreed.com |access-date=2014-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018073840/http://kasimreed.com.seanic11.net/7808.html |archive-date=2014-10-18 |url-status=dead }} In the intervening years, she has worked for candidates on both sides of the aisle—including fundraising for President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign. Her first campaign was Lomax for Mayor in 1993, where she worked as Deputy Press Secretary for Fulton County Commission Chair Michael Lomax.

Taylor spent four years as a political contributor to MSNBC and wrote for MSNBC.com,[http://fb-goldietaylor3.people.msnbc.com/_tps/index MSNBC] where she focused on social justice issues. In late September 2014, it was announced that MSNBC had not renewed her contract. She did not announce her next move at that time.Josh Feldman. "MSNBC Parts Ways With Goldie Taylor." Mediaite, September 29, 2014. [http://www.mediaite.com/tv/msnbc-parts-ways-with-goldie-taylor/] She is producing her first feature-length documentary, "The Other Side of Grace," which charts the rise and decline of her hometown—East St. Louis, IL.[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/669232750/the-other-side-of-grace Kickstarter]

=Writing=

While a student at Emory University, Taylor began writing for the Emory Wheel as well as for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a part-time staff writer. She self-published her first novel, In My Father's House, with WheatMark Press in 2005. Her second novel, The January Girl, was first published by Madison Park Press in 2007 and later re-released by Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette. A third novel, Paper Gods, was published by St. Martin's Press in 2018.

Throughout her career she has written for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Creative Loafing, Marie Claire, TheGrio, CNN.com, Americablog, MSNBC.com, and EbonyJet.com. Her 2008 op-ed column regarding then Republican vice presidential nominee and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, "A Woman's Worth", published by EbonyJet.com, was described in February 201 as the most visited webpage in the site's history.{{cite news|last=Victorian|first=Brande|title=Mn Daily Salute: African American Female Journalists|url=http://madamenoire.com/262011/mn-daily-salute-african-american-female-journalists/8/|accessdate=March 17, 2014|work=Madame Noir|date=February 12, 2013|archive-date=March 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317152212/http://madamenoire.com/262011/mn-daily-salute-african-american-female-journalists/8/|url-status=dead}} She is also the author of "Show Me Your Papers!", a special-contributor opinion aired on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show that addressed Birtherism through the prism of a family story about her great-great-grandfather, Major Blackard.{{cite news|title='The Rachel Maddow Show' for Wednesday, April 27th, 2011|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42804691|access-date=March 17, 2014|work=NBC News}}

=Television=

Taylor is a frequent contributor to MSNBC, CNN and HLN on social, political and faith issues. In the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal, Taylor revealed during a November 2011 appearance on "CNN Newsroom" with Don Lemon her own experience being sexually abused. In a post on her blog about her decision to come forward, Taylor named her abuser. Taylor also disclosed details on Twitter about the abuse which took place while she was in high school.{{cite news|last=Fung|first=Katherine|title=MSNBC's Goldie Taylor Opens Up About Sexual Abuse After Penn State Scandal|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/msnbcs-goldie-taylor-sexual-abuse-last-word-penn-state-scandal_n_1095830.html|accessdate=March 17, 2014|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=November 15, 2011}} In March 2012, Taylor appeared on The Lawrence O’Donnell Show wearing a hooded sweatshirt in solidarity with slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.{{cite news|last=Martel|first=Frances|title=Hoodie-Clad Goldie Taylor And Mark Thompson Talk Trayvon Martin With Lawrence O'Donnell|url=http://www.mediaite.com/tv/hoodie-clad-goldie-taylor-and-mark-thompson-talk-trayvon-martin-with-lawrence-odonnell/|accessdate=March 17, 2014|newspaper=Mediaite|date=March 21, 2012}} She was the first cable news pundit to do so, being an early vocal proponent of a deeper investigation.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}}

=Corporate=

Taylor has worked for the Sara Lee Corporation as director of global communications and public affairs.{{cite news|last=Franke|first=John|title=Taylor exits Home Depot for new role at Sara Lee Foods|url=http://www.prweekus.com/article/taylor-exits-home-depot-new-role-sara-lee-foods/1244835|accessdate=March 17, 2014|newspaper=PR News|date=October 4, 2004}}

Taylor has served as executive consultant to NBC News and CNN Worldwide. In 2009, while serving as a consulting producer to CNN, Taylor re-opened an investigation into the Atlanta Child Murders and convicted serial killer Wayne Williams. She was also an executive consultant to CNN's "Black in America", leading the audience tune-in strategy. "Black In America" remains one of the highest rated documentaries in CNN's history. Taylor states that she created and launched Procter & Gamble's "My Black Is Beautiful",{{cite web|last=Taylor|first=Goldie|title=Is Ashley Judd right about hip-hop's 'rape culture'?|url=http://thegrio.com/2011/04/11/is-ashley-judd-right-about-hip-hops-rape-culture/|publisher=TheGrio|accessdate=March 17, 2014|date=April 11, 2011}} the largest marketing effort targeting African-American women in the company's history.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}}

She has previously been an external affairs executive for several Fortune 500 companies, as well as two of the world's largest public relations agencies, the GCI Group San Francisco and Edelman Atlanta Public Relations. Taylor is currently the CEO of Goldie Taylor Brand Communications, an Atlanta-based multi-cultural advertising and public relations agency. She is also the managing editor and host of "The Goldie Taylor Project", an opinion blog devoted to contemporary political, social, and faith issues confronting America.