Taylor undertook his formal education in philosophy at Morehouse College (BA) and Rutgers (MA and PhD), and he subsequently earned a master’s degree in public administration at the Kennedy School. He specializes mainly in race theory, aesthetics, and Africana thought, and his publications include three books and many articles and book chapters in these areas. His most recent book is Black Is Beautiful: A Philosophy of Black Aesthetics (Blackwell). Taylor is a long time member of the ASA. His first academic publication appeared in the Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism more years ago than he cares to admit, and he was appointed to and served on the first ASA diversity committee in 2009.