Clifton Taulbert, a former migrant cotton field worker from the Mississippi Delta, is now an award-winning author, a Time Magazine-recognized entrepreneur, an educator, and a CEO of two different companies: Taulbert is the founder of The Freemount Corporation, an international human capital consultancy, and the President & CEO of ROOTS JAVA COFFEE an African American owned national coffee supply company. Taulbert is recognized and embraced around the world, from South Africa to Australia.
Taulbert has written fourteen books. His first book, Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored, became an international bestseller and a major motion picture. The United States Government selected the book as a gift for Nelson Mandela upon his release from prison in 1990. His most recent book, The Invitation, was chosen by the Architect of the United States Capitol as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He produced a major motion picture and served as a consultant on several documentaries: Jews in the Delta and the Emmy-award winning Boomtown: An American Journey, which details the birth of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2018, Taulbert was asked by the University of Utah to open their 2018 Fulbright Scholars Innovation Conference, where he spoke to one hundred and twenty scholars from around the world. Taulbert’s address, “The Revival of the Inquisitive Mind,” was widely enjoyed at the U.S. State Department-sponsored conference.
Taulbert graduated valedictorian of his Mississippi high school class and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He has previously served as a Trustee for the University of Tulsa, the Oklahoma Foundation of Excellence, and the Tulsa Historical Society. In 2017, Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, President of the American Foreign Service Association, presented Taulbert with the 2017 Citizen Diplomat Award, the highest honor given by Global Ties U.S. He was inducted into the Enlisted Airman Hall of Fame. He is also a recipient of the 27th NAACP Image Award for Literature. He presently serves as a Trustee for the Tulsa Library Trust, the Board of Reference at Oral Roberts University, the Eudora Welty Advisory Board, the Anne Kathryn Sickle Cell Fund, and the Indian Nation Council of Boy Scouts.
Taulbert and his wife, Barbara reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They have one son, Marshall Danzy Taulbert, who lives in Los Angeles, California.