|
|
African American Literature Book Club - The #1 Site for "Readers of Black Literature" |
|
|
|
|
|
Tavis Smiley,
deemed by many as the voice of Black America, has been host of BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley. His political commentary can be heard on the nationally
syndicated, Tom Joyner Morning Show (ABC Radio Networks), and on The Smiley
Report syndicated by the American Urban Radio network. In addition to his
broadcast work, Smiley is also the author of the critically acclaimed book,
"HARD LEFT: Straight Talk About The Wrongs of the Right."
Known for his tough interviewing tactics and strong emphasis on issues concerning the African-American community, Time selected Smiley as one of America's 50 most promising young leaders under the age of 40. Ebony has profiled him as one of Black America's future leaders. The New York Post screamed, "Look out Larry King, here comes Tavis Smiley!" Essence raves that his political writings, "Show us how to correct America's swerve to the right." And Buzz magazine rates him one of the 100 coolest people in Los Angeles. Smiley has made appearances on Geraldo, Politically Incorrect, ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, Leeza, and NBC's The Today Show. Educated at Indiana University, Smiley was previously a top aide to former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.
|
Tavis Smiley
Announces The Launch of
Smiley Books |
Smiley, one of 10 children, is the author of eight books, including Doing What’s Right, Hard Left, How to Make Black America Better, and Keeping the Faith. He hosts an eponymous talk and interview show on PBS stations and his radio program, The Tavis Smiley Show, is syndicated by Public Radio International. As the host of BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley, he was a three-time winner of the NAACP Image Award. He lives in Los Angeles.
The
Covenant In Action
Click to order via Amazon
by Tavis Smiley (Introduction), Cornel West (Afterword)
ISBN: 1401918522
Pub. Date: February 2007
Format: Paperback, 216pp
Publisher: Hay House, Inc.
The Covenant in Action was developed to continue the
inspirational spirit of the Covenant With Black America and to empower
people to take effective action to achieve THE Covenant goals. The
information, tools, and ideas presented in The Covenant in Action will
enable and inspire people to become agents of change in their respective
communities and to become partners in a larger Covenant movement. The
Covenant in Action is organized into three parts:
The toolkit contains not only traditional action strategies, but includes
innovative approaches to organizing and community building that will result
in stronger, more bonded communities that are reflective of their history
and past experiences. The Covenant With Black America was only the first
step. The Covenant in Action toolkit will prime and prepare individuals and
communities to actually move the Covenant book into action.
What
I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America
Click to order via Amazon
by Tavis Smiley, David Ritz, David Ritz (With)
ISBN: 0385505167
Pub. Date: October 2006
Format: Hardcover, 272pp
Publisher: Doubleday Publishing
Tavis Smiley grew up in a family of thirteen in a small trailer in Indiana,
where money was scarce and the sight of other black faces even scarcer. One of
only a few African American kids in his high school, he grew up feeling like an
outsider because of his race, his Pentecostal religious beliefs, and his
family's poverty. At home, the trust and support he felt from his family was
shattered when his father, in a moment of rage, beat him with an electrical
cord, sending him to the hospital. Placed in foster care for a time, it took
Tavis years to bridge the emotional chasm between him and his parents.
Throughout his childhood, however, Smiley possessed an inner drive to succeed.
His remarkable speaking ability made him an oratorical champion in Indiana and
offered him a pathway to a different world. Determined to fight for the underdog
and for African American rights, he entered the political arena, moving to Los
Angeles to work in mayor Tom Bradley's administration, and later ran for a seat
on the city council. After losing the election, he embarked on his career as a
radio commentator, discovering that it was an ideal way to influence public
discourse on the issues of the day. Now a broadcast star, he remains committed
to bettering the lives of all Americans; he's especially acclaimed for his work
on behalf of people of color and the underprivileged.
A moving, deeply honest self-portrait of one of America's most popular media
figures, WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE will appeal to readers of every color and
political persuasion.
The Covenant with Black America
Click to order via Amazon
Tavis Smiley (Editor)
ISBN: 0883782774
Format: Paperback, 254pp
Pub. Date: February 2006
Publisher: Third World Press
Read more about the The State of the Black Union 2006 and the Covenant with Black America
Read a Book Review by Kam Williams
Six years’ worth of symposiums come together in this rich collection of
essays that plot a course for African Americans, explaining how individuals and
households can make changes that will immediately improve their circumstances in
areas ranging from health and education to crime reduction and financial
well-being. Addressing these pressing concerns are contributors Dr. David
Satcher, former U.S. surgeon general; Wade Henderson, executive director of the
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; Angela Glover Blackwell, founder of the
research think tank PolicyLink; and Cornell West, professor of religion at
Princeton University. Each chapter outlines one key issue and provides a list of
resources, suggestions for action, and a checklist for what concerned citizens
can do to keep their communities progressing socially, politically, and
economically. Though the African American community faces devastating social
disparities—in which more than 8 million people live in poverty—this celebration
of possibility, hope, and strength will help leaders and citizens keep Black
America moving forward.
Visit
http://www.covenantwithblackamerica.com for more information and to make a
donation
How
to Make Black America Better: Leading African Americans Speak Out
Click to order via Amazon
Format: Hardcover, 272pp.
ISBN: 0385502141
Publisher: Doubleday & Company, Incorporated
Pub. Date: January 2001
Edition: 1 ED
How to Make Black America Better opens with Tavis Smiley's twelve "challenges" to the African-American community. Among the issues that Smiley addresses are getting black Americans to "think black first," insisting that black Americans—including those in entertainment and the media—consider the consequences of their actions with regard tot he black community, and encouraging African Americans to put family first.
At the heart of the book is a collection of original essays contributed by such celebrated figures as Iyanla Vanzant, Aretha Franklin, Cornel West, Susan Taylor, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Dr. Dre, Nikki Giovanni, Al Sharpton, and Shaquille O'Neal. Ranging from one to four pags in length, each of these essays addresses vital issues in the African-American community, from affirmative action to black-on-black crime, political power to economic independence, race relations to family life, and much more.
Finally, at the back of the book Smiley has included a high-powered selection of excerpts and highlights from the national symposium he organized in Los Angeles on the eve of the Democratic National Convention entitled "Advocacy in the Next Millennium: New Paradigms for Progress," featuring such luminaries as Marian Wright Edelman, Johnnetta Cole, Kweisi Mfume, Maxine Waters, and Henry Louis Gates.
Doing
What's Right: How to Fight for What You Believe--and Make a Difference
Click to order via Amazon
Format: Paperback, 160pp.
ISBN: 0385499310
Publisher: Vintage Anchor Publishing
Pub. Date: December 2000
Edition Desc: 1 ANCHOR
In Doing What's Right, Tavis Smiley shows
how each one of us can battle complacency and fight for the causes we support.
Smiley is the host of "Black Entertainment Television Tonight with Tavis
Smiley," a one-hour nightly talk show that reaches fifty-five million
households, and his political and social commentary is heard daily on "The
Tom Joyner Morning Show," a national radio program with a listenership of
seven million. "The Smiley Report," his monthly newsletter, has a
circulation of three to four million readers.
Smiley's career was inspired by his lifelong determination to make a difference.
Through the media, he has helped to galvanize public opinion and initiate
national grassroots campaigns on everything from corporate responsibility to
voter turnout. In Doing What's Right, Smiley urges everyone to become
involved and presents a practical and motivating gameplan for making it happen.
On
Air: The Best of Tavis Smiley Thoughts on the Tom Joyner Morning Show
Click to order via Amazon
Format: Paperback, 170pp.
ISBN: 1890194336
Publisher: Pines One Publications
Pub. Date: July 1998
Edition Desc: 1 ED
Video Slide Show of Photographs taken
during reception hosted by Tavis Smiley in NYC.
Photos include authors Iyanla Vanzant, Cornel West, Charlie Rose actress Ruby
Dee; dancer Carmen de Lavallade; author Walter Mosley; author Terry McMillan;
dancer Judith Jameson; chairman and founder of Essence Communications Inc.,
Edward Lewis
Related Links
AALBC.com
Home |
Advertise |
Discussion |
Chat |
Books |
Fun Stuff | About AALBC.com |
Writer's Resources |
Get on the AALBC.com |
Reviews |
Events |
Send us Feedback |
Privacy Policy |
Buy Any Book]
|
|
|
|||||||
Copyright © 1997-2007 AALBC.com, LLC - http://aalbc.com