New Releases by Tavis Smiley

Twenty years after sparking a national dialogue, The Covenant with Black America returns with renewed urgency, weaving original insights with contemporary voices, and reminding us that our collective liberation is essential for a more equitable society. Two decades ago, Tavis Smiley curated a pivotal national dialogue with the publication of The Covenant with Black America. This groundbreaking manifesto swiftly captured the nation''s attention by addressing the critical issues facing African Americans and became a #1 New York Times bestseller challenging America to confront systemic inequalities with extraordinary determination. Today, as we commemorate its 20th anniversary, the urgency of these issues has only intensified. Despite significant strides, the disparities in health, housing, justice, and economic opportunity continue to disproportionately affect Black communities, underscoring the enduring relevance of our collective commitment. This new edition intertwines original essays with powerful new contributions from today''s leading voices, presenting a compelling blend of historical insights and contemporary urgency. These essays are not merely reflections but are calls to action—reminding us that the path to equality is ongoing and demanding. Through these pages, we revisit the original ten covenants, updated with new data and analysis that reveal both progress and the troubling persistence of inequality. This edition also includes a new essay on the state of homelessness in the Black community as numbers have risen to an all-time high. With a special Afterword by the esteemed poet Nikki Giovanni, this anniversary edition of The Covenant with Black America is a testament to the enduring spirit of advocacy and a beacon of light and hope for future generations. It invites us all to partake in the crucial work of reshaping America into a more equitable society, echoing the timeless truth that our collective liberation uplifts the entire nation. As Smiley writes in the Introduction, “I am convinced in this critical moment of American history that our nation needs us now more than ever to confront the forces of extremism and extend the rich tradition of deep democu00adracy in America as we expand justice and freedom for all.”

The compliment that award-winning talk show host and best-selling author Tavis Smiley hears most, from both guests and viewers/listeners, is about his ability to get people to open up and share. Granted, he''s been developing this art form for years--but the point is he learned how to do it, and so can others. This book will be based on the methods Tavis has employed to conduct amazing conversations with thousands of people for 25 years. He will share the strategies he has used to create conversation that helps people relax, get comfortable, open up, offer insights, share secrets, and disclose information that they never intended to reveal. Who''s got the time or patience for small talk these days? Not most people. This book reveals the secret sauce for how to conduct conversations at work, home, or play that are rewarding, not draining. Readers will discover ways to connect with the humanity in people through civil conversation that''s never condescending, conversation that''s always insightful and never insulting. Chapters include: Finding the Sweet Spot - how to make people comfortable in conversation It''s A Conversation, Not an Interrogation - how to make people feel less defensive What Are You Trying to Prove - how to make the conversation about them, not you Connect the Dots - how to make the conversation seamless, not disjointed and circuitous Body Talk - how to read body language cues and let your posture speak effectively for you Don''t Drop the Bomb on Me - how to prep for a difficult conversation and more

A powerful chronicle of the sixteen weeks leading up to King of Pop Michael Jackson''s death. Michael Jackson''s final months were like the rest of his short and legendary life: filled with deep lows and soaring highs, a constant hunt for privacy, and the pressure and fame that made him socially fragile and almost -- ultimately -- unable to live. With the insight and compassion that he brought to his bestselling story of Martin Luther King, Jr.''s final year, Tavis Smiley provides a glimpse into the superstar''s life in this emotional, honest, yet celebratory book. Readers will witness Jackson''s campaign to recharge his career -- hiring and firing managers and advisors, turning to and away from family members, fighting depression and drug dependency -- while his one goal remained: to mount the most spectacular series of shows the world had ever seen. Before You Judge Me is a humanizing look at Jackson''s last days.

Stepping into your authentic life can be difficult, but rest assured you’re not the first one to walk this path . . . On these gorgeously illustrated pages, media mogul and social entrepreneur Tavis Smiley shares 50 nuggets of wisdom he’s gleaned while rising from humble roots to become a critically acclaimed host of television and radio, as well as an impactful philanthropist. Through his relationships with cultural luminaries such as Maya Angelou and Quincy Jones, and personal mentors such as Rosa Parks, Peter Jennings, and Smiley’s own sagacious grandmother "Big Mama"—not to mention the lumps he’s taken along the way—Smiley has learned how to avoid pitfalls like fear and convenience, and claim your best life. Here, Smiley offers both guidebook and toolkit to help you get on track, whether you’re just setting out on your own, or you need a course correction to keep marching toward your dreams.

In 2006, Tavis Smiley—along with a team of esteemed contributors—laid out a national plan of action to address the ten most crucial issues facing African Americans.The Covenant, which became a #1 New York Times bestseller, ran the gamut from health care to criminal justice, affordable housing to education, voting rights to racial divides. But a decade later, Black men still fall to police bullets and brutality, Black women still die from preventable diseases, Black children still struggle to get a high quality education, the digital divide and environmental inequality persist, and American cities from Ferguson to Baltimore burn with frustration. In short, the last decade has seen the evaporation of Black wealth, with Black felu00adlow citizens having lost ground in nearly every leading economic category. And so in these pages Smiley calls for a renewal of The Covenant, presenting the original action plan alongside new data from the Indiana University School of Public & Environmental Affairs (SPEA) to underscore missed opportunities and the work that remains to be done. While life for far too many African Americans remains a struggle, the great freedom fighter Frederick Douglass was right: "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." Now is the time to finally convert the trials and tribulations of Black America into the progress that all of America yearns for.

A remarkable story of friendship, love, and courage. When Maya Angelou and Tavis Smiley met in 1986, he was twenty-one and she was fifty-eight. For the next twenty-eight years, they shared an unlikely, special bond. Angelou was a teacher and a maternal figure to Smiley, and they talked often, of art, politics, history, race, religion, music, love, purpose, and -- more than anything -- courage. Courage to be open, to follow dreams, to believe in oneself. In My Journey with Maya, Smiley recalls a joyful friendship filled to the brim with sparkling conversation -- in Angelou''s gardens surrounded by her caged birds, before lectures, sharing meals, and on breaks from it all, they sought each other out for comfort, advice, and above all else, friendship. It began when he, a recent college graduate and a poor kid from a big family in the Midwest, was invited to join the revered writer on a sojourn to Africa. He would be handling her bags, but Maya didn''t let that stop a friendship waiting to happen. Angelou was generous, challenging, and inspirational. Like a mother to him, she was selfless. Here Tavis Smiley shares his personal memories of Maya Angelou, of a decades-long friendship with one of history''s most fascinating women, one who left as indelible an imprint on American culture as she did on him.

A revealing and dramatic chronicle of the twelve months leading up to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.''s assassination. Martin Luther King, Jr. died in one of the most shocking assassinations the world has known, but little is remembered about the life he led in his final year. New York Times bestselling author and award-winning broadcaster Tavis Smiley recounts the final 365 days of King''s life, revealing the minister''s trials and tribulations -- denunciations by the press, rejection from the president, dismissal by the country''s black middle class and militants, assaults on his character, ideology, and political tactics, to name a few -- all of which he had to rise above in order to lead and address the racism, poverty, and militarism that threatened to destroy our democracy. Smiley''s Death of a King paints a portrait of a leader and visionary in a narrative different from all that have come before. Here is an exceptional glimpse into King''s life -- one that adds both nuance and gravitas to his legacy as an American hero.

The author offers anecdotes and experiences with failure in his own life to help readers reconsider how they view past mistakes and to use past failures to overcome hardship and succeed later in life.

Record unemployment and rampant corporate avarice, empty houses but homeless families, dwindling opportunities in an increasingly paralyzed nation—these are the realities of 21st-century America, land of the free and home of the new middle class poor. Award-winning broadcaster Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornel West, one of the nation’s leading democratic intellectuals, co-hosts of Public Radio’s Smiley & West, now take on the "P" word—poverty. The Rich and the Rest of Us is the next step in the journey that began with "The Poverty Tour: A Call to Conscience." Smiley and West’s 18-city bus tour gave voice to the plight of impoverished Americans of all races, colors, and creeds. With 150 million Americans persistently poor or near poor, the highest numbers in over five decades, Smiley and West argue that now is the time to confront the underlying conditions of systemic poverty in America before it’s too late. By placing the eradication of poverty in the context of the nation’s greatest moments of social transformation— such as the abolition of slavery, woman’s suffrage, and the labor and civil rights movements—ending poverty is sure to emerge as America’s 21st‑century civil rights struggle. As the middle class disappears and the safety net is shredded, Smiley and West, building on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., ask us to confront our fear and complacency with 12 poverty changing ideas. They challenge us to re-examine our assumptions about poverty in America—what it really is and how to eliminate it now.

Too Important to Fail: Saving America’s Boys is the companion volume to TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS PBS special which is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as part of its American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen initiative. It examines an undeclared crisis in America—the staggering dropout rate among young black males. In countless urban schools the graduation rate has plummeted to less than 20% and nationwide fewer than 50% of young black males will graduate from high school. Low graduation rates combined with disproportionate rates of suspensions, expulsion and young black males assigned to special education classes, fuel this state of emergency. Tavis Smiley’s candid conversations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Oakland with frontline experts and educators, detention center administrators and the boys themselves urges viewers to ponder the societal and economic cost of losing another generation of uneducated young black males to lifetimes of prison and poverty. This volume picks up where the special leaves off with expanded discussion, dot-connecting data and real life examples of the information and resources needed to harness our frustration and concern into collective and effective action. The ebook contains an extensive resource guide that lists 125 organizations who have a stake in solving this monumental challenge.

In Keeping the Faith, nationally acclaimed author and commentator Tavis Smiley, host of NPR’s The Tavis Smiley Show, weaves stories of over one hundred African Americans into a rich tapestry of intimate testimonies about life, love, and inner strength. In Smiley’s affirming collection, black Americans from all walks of life join with well known figures such as Iyanla Vanzant, Cornel West, and Danny Glover to offer insights about the moments that challenged them to learn, the teachers who inspired them to grow, and the sources of hope and courage they draw on in their daily lives. Certain to be of abiding value to readers everywhere, Keeping the Faith offers rich lessons about loss and healing, wisdom and fulfillment, perseverance and the wellsprings of joy.

Tavis Smiley presents the successor to his two bestselling books, The Covenant of Black America and The Covenant in Action—Accountable will serve as a report card, holding the politicians accountable for what they have promised and holding the community responsible for its actions or inactions. In Accountable, New York Times bestselling author Tavis Smiley addresses two issues: Public officials and the promises they have made regarding issues of concern to the African American community; and holding individuals and communities accountable for the degree to which they have utilized various tools and strategies outlined in his previous books, The Covenant and The Covenant in Action, to effect change. In sum, this book will explore how well the covenant goals have been realized. It explores topics such as healthcare, education, the unequal justice system, and jobs, and it will do so through story—real life examples of how an issue manifests itself on the ground. Accountable will examine the conditions of our present day and the consequences for America if we fail to effect real change within the next two decades. It will make the case for American citizens to be driven by “the cause and not the candidate,” and demonstrate the need to hold our politicians and ourselves accountable—because the stakes have never been higher.

From the man who catapulted the Covenant with Black America to number one on the New York Times bestseller list comes a searing memoir of poverty, ambition, pain and atonment. Tavis Smiley grew up in a family of thirteen in rural Indian, where money was scarce and the sight of other black faces even scarcer. Always an outsider because of his race, economic background, and Pentecostal religious beliefs, he was sustained by his family’s love. But one day his world was shattered when his father brutally beat him, sending him to the hospital and then into foster care for a period of time. In What I Know for Sure, Smiley recounts how he overcame his painful history and became one of America’s most popular media figures.

A collection of the African-American intellectual''s quotations, speech excerpts, letters, and philosophical writings is accompanied by a CD featuring an interview by Tavis Smiley with the contemporary philosopher.

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: (1) stories about the projects and actions that everyday people have undertaken over the past year that were inspired by the Covenant With Black America; (2) motivational essays from young Black activists who are on the ground impacting their environments; and (3) a toolkit outlining steps you can take to organize, connect, and act. 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.

This inspirational book is a collection of the best advice Tavis Smiley has ever received. Movie stars such as Annette Bening and Don Cheadle; musicians including Alanis Morissette and Al Green; and a number of Tavis’s friends offer serious, practical, and humorous advice on everything from relationships, careers, and money…to improving your character, overcoming obstacles, and realizing your dreams. Based on Tavis’s belief that while you can be successful without being great, you can’t be great without being successful…this book is designed to enlighten, encourage, and empower you!

Tavis Smiley''s personal empowerment cards willl help individuals think and decide critically, enabling them to improve their lives and the lives of their family and community.

Presents a collection of the author''s commentaries as heard on the "Tom Joyner Morning Show."

Youth Survival Manual is a national innovative resource for teens and young adults 13 to 22 to help them get involved in their communities, develop their leadership skills, and plan their academic and professional careers. This book provides more than 1,000 resources for youth to excel and prepare for adulthood. Resources include: to get involved in the community; information about issues affecting teens; how to map out the high school and college years; scholarships; internships; how to network; recommended reading material; and other youth opportunities.

A practical and motivating gameplan that shows us how to battle complacency and fight for the causes we support. Tavis 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.

A political commentator on America''s number one urban radio program, the "Tom Joyner Morning Show", combines commentaries, strategies, and tips to empower black Americans to leadership in their neighborhoods and workplaces.

Tavis Smiley, the Left''s hard-hitting answer to talk radio conservatives, takes on the political Right and thrashes them at their own game. "Tavis Smiley brings intelligence and insight to his stirring counter-manifesto".--Susan Estrich.