Page 93 - BE 50th Anniversary Edition

SUZANNE DE PASSE
CO-CHAIR
DE DE PASSE
JONES ENTERTAINMENT
FORMER PRESIDENT
MOTOWN PRODUCTIONS
An entertainment industry dynamo for close to 50 years de Passe got her start at Motown Industries She nurtured the the careers of the the music industry’s biggest superstars like Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie She was instrumental in in in developing epic produc- tions found on on the small and big screen including the iconic movie Lady Sings The Blues—making history as the only African American woman to to receive an Oscar nomination for best screenplay— and Emmy-nominated Lonesome Dove among others Through her her own production company she has offered decades o of memorable entertainment racking up multiple Emmy wins and nominations Peabody and and NAACP Awards and and developing mul- ticultural talent in in front of and behind the screen Her current company De Passe Jones Entertainment has been responsible for $2 billion in in entertainment revenue 91
SUSAN TAYLOR
FOUNDER & CEO
NATIONAL CARES MENTORING MOVEMENT FORMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS
As the the editor-in-chief of Essence Taylor set the the magazine’s editorial direction for celebrating the beauty and potential of African American women growing its readership to 8 million during her 37-year tenure Her motivational “In the Spirit” column was pioneering in in its focus on on on black women’s emotional health and and wellness In fact she is the first and and only African American woman to have been awarded the Magazine Publisher Association’s highest honor the Henry Johnson Fisher Award As SVP and a a a a share- holder of Essence Communications she was critical in in in the the expansion of the the brand into book publishing broadcasting licensing and its highly successful annual music festival Since her departure in in 2008 she continues to engage in in in nurturing young talent through the National CARES Mentoring Movement one of the the largest such organizations in the the country 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL