If you've watched American Pimp, then you should be familiar with the story of Andre Taylor, better known as Gorgeous Dre. He served his time after he was convicted of sex trafficking including underage girls. Serving a little over one year of his five-year sentence, he moved to Seattle in 2016 with promises "to go to war" after his brother was killed by the police but he's turned into a prominent community activist.
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According to the Seattle Times, Taylor is now on the city of Seattle's payroll as a "street czar" whose expected to create alternatives to policing. Taylor signed a $150K contract for 12 months just a year after his organization Not This Time received $100K for sponsorship for "Conversations with the Streets" speaker series. Per his contract, his job is to “provide recommendations to the City on de-escalation, community engagement, and alternatives to policing.”
Taylor, who now serves as a life coach, was at the forefront of one of the first rallies in Seattle demanding justice for George Floyd. He's also described as being pivotal in bridging relations between communities and the police. He explained his new role with KOMO news, saying that the high salary is for his "particular genius in a particular area."
"Not too many people can go talk to gangbangers in their territory, and then go talk to the government in their territory,” Taylor also told the Seattle Times.
The Mayor's rep said the contract came to be out of an "existing working partnership."
