Maurice "Soulfighter" Taylor is a Lyricist, Spokenword artists, Dj who dabs in Photography, Videography as a grassroots cultural organizer working to bring community together via cultural expression and giving other artists doing the same a platform to be seen and heard on the Poetic Recovery Platform.
Poets Soulfighter uese culture to encourage healing and addressing social political issues plaguing our communities. Founder of Community Against Hate to educate and Poetic Recovery is the space and platform for healing and being heard. Has been involved in community cultural work for the last 30 years. Performing at area colleges and universities I have performed at Harvard University, Indiana University, 2010 Social Forum. I created an after school poetry/hip hop program called P.E,A,C,E for k-5 students at Elias Brookings Elementary school.
EDUCATION:
- Associates - Computer Systems Engineering: Springfield Technical Community College
- Bachelor – Liberal Studies: Westfield State Universities
CULTURAL POSITIONS:
- Director of the East Coast Hip Hop Congress / North East Region Hip Hop Congress
- Founder of Poetic Recovery Cultural Exchange: An Open Mic and cultural space where different artists connect for cultural exchange and encourage healing to facilitate connecting ,build community, and cultural healing from social political issues, trauma through reading, cultural expressions,
PERFORMANCES
- 1997: Created African American Cultural Society at Springfield Technical Community College.
- 1998: Created Community Against Hate.
- 1999: United Nations. Performed for Economic Human Rights Campaign during March for Our lives. http://economichumanrights.org
- 2000: Hartford Poetry Slam Team. Maurice was a member of the
- Hartford Poetry slam team which came in 16thin Providence Rhode Island.
- 2000: Performed and organized artists to perform at the United States Social Forum on behalf of the Economic Human Rights Campaign.
- 2000 – 2005 Voices For the Voiceless. Maurice has had the honor to perform at Voice For The Voiceless for 5 years in a row created by Jaime “Shaggy” Flores, sponsored by La Causa at Amherst College in Amherst, Ma.
- 2006: Tent State University @ Umass organized panel and performance.
- 2006: Created Poetic Recovery first Open Mic was in Northampton, Ma.
- 2007: Featured in article in for Valley poetry on MassLive
- http://blog.masslive.com/valleypoetry/2007/09/maurice_soulfighter_taylor.html
- 2008: Competed for the Main Springfield Library poetry slam and won.
- 2009: Performed at Obama inauguration celebration at American International College in
- Springfield, Ma
- 2010: Co-founded P.E.A.C.E (Peace through Education Acceptance Courage and Expression) with Gianna Allentuck Adjustment counselor at Elias Brookings. https://valleyadvocate.com/2010/07/29/soulfighting-man/
- 2010: Performs at Justice for Charles event, a Movement he supported.
- 2010: Created the Poetic Recovery radio show at Westfield State University.
- 2011: Co-Created P.E.A.C.E, Peace through Education Acceptance Courage and Expression poetry program with Gianna Allentuck, Student Adjustment counselor at Elias Brookings elementary school .That teaches elementary students in the most violent part of Springfield, Ma to express themselves through poetry to lessen the impact of the trauma of violence.
- 2013: Performed at Trayvon Martin Rally in Northampton
- 2016: Performs Improv with Philly Street Symphony
- 2017: Performed at Trumps Anti-Inauguration event at Flywheel in Easthampton, Ma.
- 2018: Developed DVD project for The Movement Project so they can promote themselves.
- 2019: Poetic Recovery resides in 3 different locations. Springfield, Ma, Holyoke, Ma, and Easthampton, Ma. www.poeticrecovery.net
- Gazzette article https://www.gazettenet.com/Poetic-Recovery--Hampshire-Life- 22513426
- 2019: Developed a mini document about Spotlight Entertainment artist Kaliyah, titled "Coming for Age" https://studio.youtube.com/video/1LLFxUBGUUw/edit