Dr. Michelle Taylor
Educator, Author, Intersectionality Expert & Award-Winning Change-Maker
Dr. Michelle Taylor
Educator, Author, Intersectionality Expert & Award-Winning Change-Maker
Biography
Twice named one of the 100 most influential people in Philadelphia and recognized as one of the top 50 feminists in the world, Dr. Michelle Taylor — the social media icon known as Feminista Jones — is an educator, writer, public speaker, community activist, and social worker. She is passionate about education, advocacy, and social justice.
Dr. Taylor holds a Ph.D. in Africology & African American Studies from Temple University. She earned her M.S.W. in Organizational Leadership and Management from CUNY-Hunter College (Silberman School of Social Work) and her B.A. in African American Studies and Sociology of Deviance & Law from the University of Pennsylvania. She is also certified in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies; Executive Leadership in Social Impact Strategy; and Online Teaching.
An award-winning writer, thought leader, community activist, scholar, and retired social worker, she is the author of the critically acclaimed Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminists Are Changing the World From the Tweets to the Streets (Beacon).
Dr. Taylor's writing has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, Essence, Out, Complex, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Salon, and EBONY, among other outlets. She currently operates her own subscription-based platform and contributes to various publications as a freelancer and commissioned writer.
Because of her work as a change-maker, Dr. Taylor has been extensively featured in publications around the world, including The Boston Globe, Detroit Free Press, The Guardian, Ms., The New York Times, NBC News, Newsweek, NPR, The Washington Post, USA Today, and The Intercept.
Drawing largely from her lived experiences, Dr. Taylor’s work as a public speaker and facilitator centers on diversity, inclusion, equity, organizational culture, media representation, LGBTQ+ identity and advocacy, race, class and culture, intersectionality, mental health, and social work. Through her work, she is on a mission to promote educational accessibility, empower marginalized populations, and advocate for social justice and equality on a global scale. Dr. Michelle Taylor works in partnership with APB Speakers for speaking engagements worldwide.
Since 2013, Dr. Taylor has presented and lectured at colleges and universities including Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, Boston University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Pennsylvania. She is a highly sought-after lecturer, panelist, and keynote speaker, with appearances at major conferences including Stanford's Online Feminism Conference, the National Network of Public Health Institutes, Drexel's Racism in Medicine Conference, the Society for Social Work and Research Conference, and SXSW.
In 2020, Dr. Taylor founded Sankofa Summer School. Using an Afrocentric approach, the annual academy offers classes and workshops designed to educate people about the lives and work of Africana people throughout history. Instructors include leading scholars, activists, and community leaders, and participants join from around the world.
In 2019, Dr. Taylor co-created Black Girl Missing, a true-crime podcast that focuses on the stories of missing African American girls in the United States. The podcast is featured in the VICE documentary When Black Women Go Missing, and the team has collaborated with Lifetime Network to raise awareness about the erasure of missing Black women and girls.
In 2020, Dr. Taylor was named one of the “Bitch 50,” honoring feminist women around the world, and one of the 76 Most Influential People in Philadelphia.
Dr. Taylor is also a proud mom to an amazing son, a mentor to young girls and women, and an outspoken advocate for the homeless, people living in poverty, and those living with psychiatric disabilities—issues to which she has a personal connection.
Speaker Videos
On Oprah Winfrey Network: The Know
Investigation Into Death of TikTok Influencer Lauren Smith-Fields
Vassar College Commencement Address
Speech Topics
Bridging the Divide: How Courageous Conversations Can Heal, Connect & Move Us Forward
Avoiding hard conversations doesn’t keep the peace—it keeps us stuck. Dr. Michelle Taylor challenges audiences to lean into the discomfort of dialogue and use it as a pathway to understanding, growth, and connection. In a time marked by deep division around identity, politics, and lived experience, Dr. Taylor offers a practical and human-centered approach to engaging across difference. Drawing on her work as an educator, activist, and cultural critic, she equips audiences with the tools to listen without defensiveness, speak with intention, and stay grounded when conversations get difficult. This keynote reframes dialogue not as something to avoid, but as a skill to build—one that can transform relationships, strengthen communities, and move us forward together.
Audiences will learn:
How to navigate difficult conversations with empathy, clarity, and accountability
Why discomfort is a necessary part of growth and meaningful dialogue
Practical tools to build trust, understanding, and connection across differences
From Poverty to Ph.D.: Redefining What’s Possible
Your starting point does not determine your ending. Dr. Michelle Taylor shares her powerful journey from growing up in the projects with a determined single mother to becoming a single parent herself, a bestselling author, and earning her Ph.D. at 45. Along the way, she built a life rooted in purpose—serving as a social worker, educator, activist, and advocate for marginalized communities while being recognized as one of the Top 100 Black Social Influencers. Through honest storytelling and hard-earned insight, Dr. Taylor shows how resilience, education, and belief can break cycles and open doors. She also highlights the creation of Sankofa Summer School, an innovative platform designed to expand access to culturally relevant education. This keynote challenges audiences to rethink limitations, step into their potential, and become changemakers in their own lives and communities.
Audiences will learn:
How resilience and education can transform adversity into opportunity
Why your background does not define your future
Practical ways to step into purpose and create meaningful impact
Organizational Leadership: Developing Cultures of Inclusion & Addressing Gender & Racial Bias
Culture is not what you say—it’s what people experience every day. Dr. Michelle Taylor challenges organizations to move beyond intention and take meaningful action in addressing gender, racial, and identity-based bias in the workplace. Drawing on her experience as a social worker, educator, and activist, she offers a clear and practical roadmap for building environments where people feel seen, supported, and valued. Dr. Taylor also addresses the often-overlooked impact of organizational trauma, helping leaders understand how teams can heal, rebuild trust, and move forward after challenging or disruptive events. Tailored to each audience, this keynote equips organizations with the tools to create cultures that are not only inclusive, but sustainable and resilient.
Audiences will learn:
How to identify and address bias within organizational culture
Why trust, accountability, and healing are essential to inclusive leadership
Practical steps to build environments where all individuals can thrive
From Survival to Solidarity: Building Communities That Heal & Thrive
Real change doesn’t happen alone—it happens when people choose to show up for each other. Dr. Michelle Taylor draws on nearly two decades as a social worker on the front lines of poverty, housing insecurity, gender-based violence, and systemic inequities to explore how communities move from crisis to collective healing. Blending lived experience with professional insight, she challenges audiences to rethink what support, advocacy, and connection truly look like in practice. Dr. Taylor offers a clear path forward—one rooted in dignity, collaboration, and intentional action—showing how individuals and organizations can build stronger, more resilient communities together. This keynote is both a call to care and a call to organize, empowering audiences to move beyond awareness and into meaningful impact.
Audiences will learn:
Why lasting change requires collective action, not individual effort
How to build community-centered approaches rooted in dignity and trust
Practical ways to collaborate, advocate, and create sustainable impact
Rewriting the Narrative: Why Representation in Media Shapes How We See the World
What we see on screen shapes what we believe is possible. Dr. Michelle Taylor explores how film, television, and media influence not only our perceptions of others, but how we understand ourselves. Drawing on her research and expertise, she examines how dominant narratives have historically excluded or misrepresented marginalized communities—and the real-world impact that has on bias, opportunity, and identity. Dr. Taylor challenges audiences to think critically about the media they consume and the stories that get told, while highlighting the transformative power of authentic representation. By amplifying diverse voices and expanding narratives, she shows how media can become a tool for empathy, understanding, and meaningful social change.
Audiences will learn:
How media representation shapes perception, bias, and identity
Why diverse storytelling is essential to building empathy and understanding
How individuals and organizations can support more inclusive and equitable media narratives
Hashtags to Movements: How Social Media Drives Real-World Change
A single post can spark a movement—but only if people know how to use it. Dr. Michelle Taylor, widely known online as Feminista Jones and recognized as one of the Top 100 Black Social Influencers, explores how social media has become one of the most powerful tools for organizing, storytelling, and driving social justice today. Drawing from her experience as a feminist writer and activist, she breaks down how digital platforms have amplified voices—especially Black women—who are reshaping culture, redefining feminism, and building communities that demand change. Dr. Taylor shows how movements grow from connection to action, and how individuals can move from scrolling to organizing. This keynote empowers audiences to use their platforms with intention, strategy, and impact.
Audiences will learn:
How social media can be used to organize, mobilize, and sustain movements
Why digital communities—especially led by Black women—are reshaping culture and activism
Practical ways to engage online that lead to meaningful, real-world impact
Living Fully, Leading Boldly: Identity, Intersectionality & the Power of Being Seen
Being seen is not just personal—it’s powerful. Dr. Michelle Taylor, also known as Feminista Jones, brings a deeply personal and transformative perspective to conversations around identity and intersectionality. As a queer Black woman, feminist scholar, and activist, she explores what it means to live at the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality—and why embracing the fullness of who we are is essential to building truly inclusive spaces. Dr. Taylor challenges audiences to move beyond surface-level diversity toward environments where people are not just included, but affirmed and valued. Through storytelling, cultural insight, and practical strategies, she offers a roadmap for creating spaces where authenticity becomes a strength and leadership reflects lived experience. This keynote is a call to show up fully—and to create room for others to do the same.
Audiences will learn:
How intersectionality shapes identity, leadership, and lived experience
Why affirmation—not just inclusion—is critical to belonging
Practical ways to create environments where authenticity is recognized and valued
Testimonials
Books & Media
Books
Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminists Are Changing the World from the Tweets to the Streets
Media
Draw Strength from Your Weaknesses
How can you be an ally to the Black Lives Matter movement?
Are women being left out of the Black Lives Matter movement?
Feminista Jones: The One-Woman Social Justice Crusade
Twitter Fingers on Fleek: How Black Twitter Changed the World
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