The Lasting Legacy of Elizabeth Taylor
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The Lasting Legacy of Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor’s Endless Star Power
Recently, Naomi Campbell, revealed that she has been wearing fashionable (but comfy) caftans previously owned by the famous British-American actress, businesswoman, and humanitarian, Elizabeth Taylor. From one fashion icon to another, Campbell’s simple quarantine outfit puts the spotlight back on a well-loved celebrity known for her violet eyes and captivating beauty.
From a young age, Elizabeth Taylor had always been in the spotlight. She then successfully grew into one of the most popular stars of the classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s and continued to be one of the most sought-after actresses well into the 1960s. The American Film Institute even named her as the seventh greatest female screen legend in 1999.
Aside from being an icon for style and fashion, the award-winning actress is also known for rallying various social causes and participating in charitable work. She was one of the first celebrities to participate in HIV/AIDS activism after being frustrated by the fact that there was not enough being done to combat the disease. Elizabeth Taylor even hosted the first AIDS fundraiser to benefit the AIDS Project Los Angeles in 1984 and later on founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) in 1991. The foundation, which continues to be supported by her estate even after her death and receives 25% of royalties from the use of her image and name, recently provided $1 million for HIV/AIDS programs.
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s Twitter account honored Taylor’s HIV/AIDS work during #PrideMonth. In 2019 Leader Pelosi shared a picture of the two women, tweeting: “29 years ago, I sat alongside Elizabeth Taylor to testify before Congress on the fight for funding to fight the AIDS epidemic. The LGBTQ community continues to be disproportionately impacted by AIDS. We cannot forget their fight is everybody’s fight.”
Pelosi’s words resonate deeply in our current global health COVID-19 crisis. Years after her death, Elizabeth Taylor continues to be one of the most iconic stars, celebrated not only for her eternal beauty and elegance but also for her kind and beautiful heart coupled with her fierce activism and embrace of science.
