Tavis Smiley
Tavis Smiley | |
---|---|
Born | Gulfport, Mississippi, U.S. | September 13, 1964
Education | Indiana University (B.A., public affairs, 2003) Maconaquah High School |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1991–present |
Notable credit(s) | Tavis Smiley host KBLA Talk 1580 (2021–Present) Tavis Smiley host PBS (2004–2017) The Tavis Smiley Show from PRI (radio) host (2005–2017) Smiley & West co-host (2010–2013) BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley host (1996–2001) |
Website | kbla1580.com |
Tavis Smiley (
Smiley became a radio commentator in 1991 and, starting in 1996, he hosted the talk show BET Talk (later renamed BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley) on
Smiley had an employment dispute with PBS in December 2017 which resulted in his suing PBS for wrongful termination.[3] Smiley is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SmileyAudioMedia, Inc. headquartered in Los Angeles. Since June 2021 he has served as Chief Visionary Officer for his radio station, KBLA Talk 1580.
Early life
Smiley was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, the son of Joyce Marie Roberts.[4] On September 13, 1966, his second birthday, his mother married Emory Garnell Smiley, a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force.[5] A few years later Tavis learned the identity of his biological father, whom he identifies in his autobiography, What I Know For Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America, only as "T".[6]
Smiley's family soon moved to Indiana when his stepfather was transferred to
Smiley's mother was a deeply religious person, and the family attended the local New Bethel Tabernacle Church, part of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World.[9] The Smiley children were forbidden from listening to secular music at home or going to the movie theater, and could watch only television shows their parents felt were family-friendly.[10]
When he was in seventh grade, New Bethel pastor Elder Rufus Mills accused Smiley and his siblings of "running wild, disobeying their teacher, disrespecting their teacher, disrespecting the sanctity of this building, and mocking the holy message being taught" during Sunday School.
Smiley became interested in politics at age 13 after attending a fundraiser for U.S. Senator Birch Bayh.[9] At Maconaquah High School in Bunker Hill, Indiana, a school that Smiley described as "98 percent white,"[17] he was active in the student council and the debate team, even though his parents were "skeptical of all non-church extracurricular activities".[18]
Education
In 1982 Smiley enrolled at Indiana University Bloomington (IU). Because his parents refused to complete financial aid papers, Smiley entered the university with only $50 and a small suitcase.[19] Administrators let Smiley complete the paperwork to become a full-time student.[20] The summer after his first year, Smiley worked, attended summer classes, and lived off campus with Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players, then being coached by Bob Knight.[21] Smiley was accepted into the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity during his second year, and became business manager of his dormitory, a member of the student senate, and director of minority affairs.[22] After his friend Denver Smith was killed by Indiana police officers who claimed to have acted in self-defense, Smiley helped lead protests to defend Smith, who he believed had been wrongfully killed.[23] Those protests led him to a work-study internship at the office of Bloomington Mayor Tomilea Allison, where he was paid $5 an hour. Smiley wrote letters to local residents, researched for Mayor Allison, and helped write position papers on local issues.[24] In his autobiography, Smiley says that a deputy mayor caught him systematically adding extra hours to his time sheets, illegal behavior that could have seen him charged with a felony and expelled from college, but instead of pressing charges, Mayor Allison allowed him to work all of the hours for which he had already been paid, and did not tell other people what he had done.[25]
During the first semester of his junior year, Smiley was under academic probation; he blamed his extracurricular activities for interfering with his studies.
Smiley twice considered quitting college, first during his junior year,
Career
Radio commentator
Campaigning for a seat on the
In 1996 Smiley became a frequent commentator to the Tom Joyner Morning Show, a nationally syndicated radio show broadcast on black and urban stations in the United States.[41] He developed a friendship with host Joyner.
BET Tonight show
Also in 1996 Smiley began hosting and executive producing BET Tonight (originally BET Talk when it first premiered), a public affairs discussion show on the
Firing from BET
Smiley hosted BET Tonight until 2001 when, in a controversial move, the network announced that Smiley's contract would not be renewed. This sparked an angry response from Smiley, who sought to rally his radio audience to protest BET's decision.
NPR talk show
Smiley was then offered a chance to host a radio talk show on
Smiley leaves NPR
It was announced in 2004 that he would be leaving his show, citing the network's inability to reach a more diverse audience.[43] Smiley launched a weekly version of his radio program The Tavis Smiley Show on April 29, 2005, distributed by NPR rival Public Radio International (PRI). On October 1, 2010, Tavis Smiley turned the second hour of his PRI program into Smiley & West co-hosted by his longtime collaborator Dr. Cornel West, which lasted until December 2013.[citation needed]
Move to PBS
Smiley also hosted Tavis Smiley, a late night talk show televised on the
In March 2006, The Smiley Group and
Smiley moderated two live presidential candidate forums in 2007: a Democratic forum on June 28 at Howard University in Washington, D.C.,[46] and a Republican forum on September 27 at Morgan State University in Baltimore.[47]
Dancing with the Stars
On September 4, 2014, it was announced that Smiley would be competing on the
Firing from PBS
In 2017, Smiley was accused of violating the morals clause of his contract.[citation needed] Smiley denied the allegations and sued PBS citing wrongful termination.[citation needed] The court ultimately ruled in PBS's favor.[citation needed]
KBLA Radio
As of 2021, Smiley hosts a radio show on KBLA Talk 1580 from 9am to noon PT on weekdays,[50] and he is also host of the Tavis Smiley Podcast in conjunction with KBLA.[51]
Media appearances
In 2000, they began hosting annual town hall meetings called "The State of the Black Union," which were aired live on the C-SPAN cable television network. Each of these town hall meetings focused on a specific topic affecting the African-American community, featuring a panel of African-American leaders, educators, and professionals, assembled before an audience, to discuss problems related to the forum's topic, as well as potential solutions.[52] Smiley also used his commentator status on Joyner's radio show to launch several advocacy campaigns to highlight discriminatory practices in the media and government, and to rally support for causes such as the awarding of a Congressional Gold Medal to civil rights icon Rosa Parks. Smiley also began building a national reputation as a political commentator with numerous appearances on political discussion shows on MSNBC, ABC, and CNN. Smiley has appeared on the Democracy Now! podcast.[53] and Real Time with Bill Maher.[54]
Controversy
TSU dispute
In 2005, Smiley donated and raised thousands of dollars for Texas Southern University. The School of Communication was temporarily named after him, before TSU and Smiley mutually agreed to remove his name.
Barack Obama commentary
On April 11, 2008, Smiley announced that he would resign in June 2008 as a commentator on the Tom Joyner Morning Show. He cited fatigue and a busy schedule in a personal call to Joyner. However, Joyner, referring to several commentaries in which Smiley was critical of
In 2012, Smiley participated in a "Poverty Tour" with
Sexual misconduct allegations
On December 13, 2017, PBS indefinitely suspended Smiley. PBS issued a statement saying that it had hired a law firm to conduct an investigation "immediately after learning of troubling allegations regarding Mr. Smiley" and that this investigation "uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS."[60]
On December 14, 2017, Smiley described the PBS investigation as "biased and sloppy" and said he would fight the allegations and the damage to his reputation. He released a statement saying, "I have the utmost respect for women and celebrate the courage of those who have come forth to tell their truth",[61] and "To be clear, I have never groped, coerced or exposed myself inappropriately to any workplace colleague in my entire broadcast career, covering six networks over 30 years".[61]
Soon after the suspension, Smiley went on a country-wide tour to defend his innocence and denouncing workplace harassment.[62][63] In 2018, Smiley sued PBS for wrongful termination while PBS countersued claiming a breach of a morals clause in his contract. PBS prevailed and on August 5, 2020, Smiley was ordered to pay PBS $2.6 million in damages.
Honorary degrees
Smiley was honored with the
- 2007 - Smiley gave a commencement speech at his alma mater, Indiana University at Bloomington, Indiana (the university recently honored Smiley by naming the atrium of its School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) building, The Tavis Smiley Atrium).
- 2008 - Smiley gave the commencement address at W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research.[68]
- 2009 - Smiley was awarded an honorary doctorate at Istanbul, Turkey.[70]
In popular culture
Smiley was named No. 2 change agent in the field of media behind
In 2014, Smiley received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring his contributions to television.[71]
Smiley is referenced in the KRS-One song "Clear 'Em Out."[72]
Bibliography
- Smiley, Tavis (1993). Just a thought: The Smiley report, 1991-93. Los Angeles, Calif: Pines One Pub. OCLC 30158977.
- — (1996). Hard left: Straight talk about the wrongs of the right. New York: Anchor Books. OCLC 34115509.
- — (2001). Doing what's right: How to fight for what you believe-- and make a difference. New York: Anchor. OCLC 45724843.
- — (2004). Keeping the faith: Stories of love, courage, healing, and hope from Black America. New York: Anchor Books. OCLC 54402663.
- — (2002). How to make Black America better : leading African Americans speak out. New York: Anchor Books. OCLC 47739261.
- — (1998). On air: The best of Tavis Smiley on the Tom Joyner morning show: Thoughts on culture, politics & race. Los Angeles, CA: Pines One Pub. OCLC 39310218.
- —, ed. (2006). OCLC 64432411.
- — (2006). What I know for sure: My story of growing up in America. New York: Doubleday. OCLC 67240857.
- — (2009). Accountable: Making America as good as its promise. New York: Atria Books. OCLC 233939628.
- — (2011). Fail up: 20 lessons on building success from failure. Carlsbad, Calif: SmileyBooks Distributed by Hay House. OCLC 697261211.
- with OCLC 778425910.
- — (2014). Death of a King: The real story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final year. New York: Little, Brown and Company. OCLC 868040473.
- with OCLC 900668237.
- —, ed. (2016). The Covenant with Black America - ten years later. Carlsbad, California: SmileyBooks. OCLC 928750900.
- — (2016). 50 for your future: Lessons from down the road. Carlsbad, California: SmileyBooks. OCLC 907495007.
- — (2016). Before you judge me: The triumph and tragedy of Michael Jackson's last days. New York: Little, Brown and Company. OCLC 923649828.
References
- ^ Boehm, Mike (October 25, 2009). "Tavis Smiley's exhibit 'America I Am: The African American Imprint' comes to L.A." Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011.
- ^ "Tavis Smiley wants his chair -- now". October 15, 2006. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Smiley 2006, p. 1
- ^ "Harrison – Guflport District, MS". Marriage License Link. Harrison County Mississippi. January 9, 1997. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 49–50
- ^ Smiley 2006, p. 17
- ISBN 9781400075935. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2019.)
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help - ^ a b c "Tavis Smiley". Contemporary Black Biography. Gale. 2006. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011.
- ^ Smiley 2006, p. 48
- ^ Smiley 2006, p. 63
- ^ Smiley 2006, p. 62
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 64–65
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 66–67
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 72–82
- ^ Smiley 2006, p. 83
- ^ Smiley 2006, p. 94
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 95, 98
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 128–131
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 136–138
- ^ Smiley 2006, p. 149
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 149–150
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 151–153
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 159–162
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 163–164
- ^ Smiley 2006, p. 165
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 167–170
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 170–174
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 177–180
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 184–186
- ^ Boyer, Edward J. (July 22, 1996). "Fast Track, Left Lane". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 190–191
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 195–196
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 195–198
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 205–207
- ^ Baker, Bob (September 6, 1988). "Partners Make Watts Market a Meaty Venture". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
- ^ "Tavis Smiley". Rootwords. Indiana University. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
- ^ Puig, Claudia (November 6, 1994). "What's The Frequency, Gen X?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
- ^ Smiley 2006, pp. 214–215
- ^ Hale, Mike (January 26, 2010). "A Documentary Looks at Bill Withers". New York Times. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015.
- ^ "Tavis Smiley". Current Biography. TavisTalks.com. 2003. Archived from the original on May 16, 2006.
- ^ Smiley's termination from BET Archived July 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Farley, Christopher John (December 13, 2004), "10 Questions For Tavis Smiley", Time, vol. 164, no. 24, p. 8, archived from the original on February 19, 2006
- ^ Collins, Scott (November 23, 2010). "Tavis Smiley-KCET relationship ending badly". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012.
- ^ Weeks, Linton (April 7, 2006). "The Volume That's Making a Loud Noise". Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016.
- ^ Nagourney, Adam (June 29, 2007). "Domestic Issues Frame Democratic Debate in a Mostly Minority Setting". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 24, 2009. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
- ^ Cooper, Michael (September 28, 2007). "Advertise on NYTimes.com 4 Top G.O.P. Candidates Skip Debate With Minority Focus". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
- ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (September 4, 2014). "'Dancing With The Stars': Season 19 Celebrity Contestants Revealed". Archived from the original on April 28, 2016.
- ^ "DWTS Spoiler Alert! Who Was Eliminated in Week 2?". September 24, 2014. Archived from the original on September 24, 2014.
- ^ "Tavis Smiley | KBLA".
- ^ "Tavis Smiley". Spotify.
- ^ Smiley 2006, p. 252
- ^ "Tavis Smiley on the State of the Black Union, Economic Inequality and the Obama Administration's Boycott of the World Conference Against Racism". Democracy Now!. March 2, 2009. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010.
- ^ "January 6th, 2025 - Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)". YouTube. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
- ^ Farhi, Paul (April 12, 2008). "Tavis Smiley Will Cut Ties With Joyner Radio Show". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012.
- ^ "Cornel West & Tavis Smiley on Obama: "Many of Us Are Exploring Other Possibilities in Coming Election"". Democracy Now!. August 9, 2011. Archived from the original on April 17, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
- ^ Stelter, Brian (October 9, 2011). "'Tavis Smiley' on Poverty Tour". Archived from the original on August 9, 2012.
- ^ "'Poverty tour' fuels debate on Obama's policies and African Americans". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016.
- ^ "Tavis Smiley and Cornel West release book on poverty". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016.
- ^ Holloway, Daniel (December 13, 2017). "PBS Suspends Tavis Smiley Following Sexual Misconduct Investigation (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Los Angeles: Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ a b Allen, Karma (December 14, 2017). "Suspended PBS host Tavis Smiley plans to 'fight back' against sexual misconduct allegations". ABC News. New York City: ABC. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ "Tavis Smiley takes on #MeToo movement". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- ^ "About the Show". pbs.org. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ "Tavis Smiley Show from NPR". npr.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ "Tavis Smiley Foundation". guidestar.org. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ "Honorary Degree Recipients - Connecticut College". conncoll.edu. Archived from the original on May 29, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ "W. E. B. Du Bois Medalists". hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ "Today in Black History, 9/13/2012". thewright.org. Museum of African American History. Archived from the original on July 28, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ "Tavis Smiley Public Radio International". pri.org. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ "Tupac Shakur to get Walk of Fame star". Archived from the original on February 27, 2014.
- ^ "Domingo (Ft. Tonedeff) – Clear 'Em Out". Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
Sources
- LaRue, William. "Tavis Smiley: NPR Host Brings Latenight Talk to PBS". The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York), February 1, 2004, STARS section, pp. 4–6.
- Slade, Scott. "Author Issues Wakeup Call". Kokomo Tribune (Indiana), June 20, 1996, p. 7.
- Smiley, Tavis (2006), What I Know For Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America, New York City, United States: ISBN 0-385-50516-7