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Tavis+Talks+Newsletter Q2 2011
Tavis+Talks+Newsletter Q2 2011
Tavis+Talks+Newsletter Q2 2011
TAVISTALKS.COM
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
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The stars continue to align and shine on Tavis Smiley! We kicked off the second quarter of our eighth season by continuing to challenge our viewers with our slogan of EXPECT MORE! And more is exactly what you can expect from our program. Legendary talk-show host Larry King stopped by to sit in the host seat to interview me on the topic of achieving success through failure. Twenty years in the broadcasting industry comes full circle the night someone with over 50 years in the business interviews you on YOUR program regarding your new book, FAIL UP: 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure. King appeared for two back-to-back nights of revealing conversation. Then we took the show on the road to New York City and the country of China. In New York, we sat down with some noted guests, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former CBS News anchor Katie Couric, philanthropist George Soros and filmmaker Harvey Weinstein. Our show was mentioned in several media outlets: The New York Times, New York Post, PEOPLE.com, CBS, ABC News and MSNBC. Across the Pacific in China, we filmed TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS which will air for five nights, beginning July 11. And of course, weve kept the beat going with our recent musical guests: Bootsy Collins, k.d. lang, Barry Manilow and Lenny Kravitz. Thank you for your continued support of Tavis Smiley on PBS. Keep the Faith!
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Wheres Tavis
Rewind... I truly enjoyed touring cities across the county. My primary goal for the tour was to engage in thought-provoking dialogue with my friends. After visiting six cities, I felt the love and positive energy from the people I love. In a few cities, some of my dear friends, such as Aretha Franklin, Thomas Hitman Hearns and comedian Paul Mooney, showed up to support me. If you missed it, Paul did a mini-comedy skit during the Q&A that was hilarious! Thank you for the wonderful conversation and allowing me the opportunity to share my thoughts with you. If you missed the tour, please visit my Web site and check out the photos from the events. Looking ahead... I love the summer months there are so many exciting events to attend. From music concerts to family reunions, you can always find the right place to escape. This summer, I will be attending several events, including the Essence Music Festival, the Black Baptist Convention and of course the Kappa Convention in my hometown of Indiana. Im looking forward to hearing some great music and meeting some fabulous people! In October, I will be celebrating my 20th year in broadcasting! Time surely flies when youre doing what you love! Please stay tuned for upcoming announcements at tavissmiley20year (link to site) for detailed information. So get ready and stay tuned! After completing a fantastic run in Washington DC, America I AM: The African American Imprint is now open in St. Louis through September 25. The exhibit is truly amazing and celebrates nearly 500 years of African American contributions to America. America I AM presents pivotal moments in courage and creativity as well as celebrates the undeniable imprint of African Americans on the United States. For more information, please visit AmericaIAM.org.
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Smiley & West has been on the move. We moved into the Houston market, where we are now heard each Saturday on KUHF 88.7 FM. While Smiley was on the move for his Fail Up! book tour, we recorded a special program from New York City. Smiley & West also celebrated their journey to China with a onehour radio special, which featured: New York Times Shanghai bureau chief David Barboza and Americanborn media mogul Andrew Ballen, both of whom provided unique insights into life, culture and politics in China; the dean of Beijings top high school taking both of them to task for Americas foreign policy toward China; the origin of the term Gung Ho, which means working together in harmony; highlights from the day they danced on the Great Wall to One Nation Under A Groove; and migrant schoolchildren near Shanghai singing Happy Birthday to West. For more information on Smiley & West, visit www.smileyandwest.com.
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Social Media
This past second quarter, social media has been the driving force behind most of what goes on in Smiley World. Social media has not only kept viewers, listeners and followers in the know with events around the country, but has also helped disseminate commentary on todays most pressing issues. Highlights include inspirational anecdotes from the latest SmileyBooks release #FAILUP and top tweets. We also reveled in the joy of surpassing the 100,000 follower mark on Twitter. Please follow Tavis on Twitter by searching - @ TavisSmiley, or like his page on Facebook: http://facebook.com/tavistalks. com.
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With support from the Foundation staff, the students implemented a summit that brought together 600 young people for a five-day conference. Now eight years later, 64 college and high school students have served on what is now known as the National Youth Advisory Council. And key elements from the summit that the young leaders created still exist inside the Institute, mainly its focus on a youth-led, adult-supported model of leadership development. The objective was to identify young leaders from the Foundations existing pool of alumni and provide them with an expanded opportunity to increase their leadership skills in the areas of critical thinking, project planning, advanced advocacy and service. Identifying young leaders is one thing, but giving them an opportunity to demonstrate and test their skills as leaders really allows us to fulfill our mission. Not surprising, the young people who have served on this council have done great work, but what is even more exciting is that the experience they gain gives them a framework for other opportunities as a result of being on the council. For example, past member Ginene Lewis graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Spelman College. She is now in her third year of law school and serves on the board of directors of the YWCA in Philadelphia. Elicia Azali, a graduate of The Ohio State University, serves on the Foundations board of directors. Nicholas Hall, a student at Vanderbilt and past president of the 2008 council, was selected as one of 12 students to participate in the Institute for Responsible Citizenship (IRC). It is considered one of the most prestigious and competitive programs for African American males. Of the 64 students who have participated as council members, all have graduated high school and 39 have now completed college; and 12 are in their junior or senior year of college. On the current council, three of the 12 members will enter college in the fall.
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SmileyBooks
In April and May, I worked tirelessly on a whirlwind 10-city tour to promote Fail Up: 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure. To kick off the tour, on my PBS show Larry King turned the tables and interviewed me in two special episodes. I also appeared on many national and local media shows for two weeks during the tour, which included 35 radio show appearances, including NPRs All Things Considered and Tell Me More programs. I also appeared on The Wendy Williams Show, Morning Joe, The Today Show, The Joy Behar Show, Newsroom with Kyra Phillips, and dozens of other TV programs. Sixty-five Web sites featured Fail Up and the tour, while 15 traditional print publications, including the New York Post and Philadelphia Inquirer, did so as well. In each tour city, I discussed the powerful stories of Fail Up with live audiences across the nation. After making it to number one on the New York Times best-seller list in the Advice and How To category, Peace From Broken Pieces, by Iyanla Vanzant, remained on the list for four additional weeks. Iyanla has remained in demand following her two-part reunion on Oprah, including speaking engagements around the country, joining Tom Joyners Fantastic Voyage Cruise, becoming a regular host on Hay House radio, and joining Michael Baisden on air to talk about relationships. She recently spoke to Michel Martin about what the end of Oprahs program signifies. SmileyBooks is thrilled to be part of the 2011 Essence Music Festivals Empowerment Series. Ill be moderating the first-ever SmileyBooks author panel on American I AM: The African America Imprint, which includes authors Tom Burrell, Chef Jeff Henderson, Iyanla Vanzant and Dr. Cornel West. Iyanla will also be part of Fridays empowerment lineup to present Coming Home: The Message You Are Waiting to Hear. Chef Jeff Henderson is poised and ready to promote the America I AM Collection, including the America I AM: Pass It Down Cookbook, at latest stop on the America I AM: The African American Imprint exhibit in St. Louis. Artwork featuring our book covers will be on tabletop display in the gift shop, highlighting the America I AM collection that allows museum goers to take the exhibit home. On August 10, my dear friend Dr. Cornel West and I will interview living legend Dr. Gardner C. Taylor, cofounder of the Progressive National Baptist Convention with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Taylors new book, Faith in the Fire, celebrates his legacy of contribution, service and activism. This occasion will mark the 50th anniversary of the Progressive National Baptist Convention.