Taulbert, Clifton

Clifton Taulbert attended school in the Mississippi Delta and would have failed if not for the community of unselfish adults around him. Their presence gave rise to his first book, "Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored", which was included in the United States' gift to Nelson Mandela upon his release from prison and also became a critically acclaimed movie of the same name. Taulbert is president and CEO of Roots Java Coffee and the founder and president of the Building Community Institute. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.