Tavis Smiley Bio
"Time" selected him as one of America's 50 most promising young leaders. "Newsweek" profiled him as one of the "20 people changing how Americans get their news" and dubbed him one of the nation's "captains of the airwaves." With his late-night television talk show, "Tavis Smiley" on PBS, and his radio show "The Tavis Smiley Show" on PRI, he is the first American ever to simultaneously host signature talk shows on both public television and public radio.
Tavis Smiley, who started his career as an aide to the late Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley, also offers political commentary twice weekly on the "Tom Joyner Morning Show." In addition, he has authored ten books and has his own imprint (Smiley Books) with Hay House.
Texas Southern University honored Smiley with the opening of The Tavis Smiley School of Communications and The Tavis Smiley Center for Professional Media Studies, making him the youngest African American to ever have a professional school and center named after him on a college or university campus. Smiley cemented his commitment to TSU with a $1million gift to the Center. He has received numerous honorary doctorate degrees, including one from his alma mater, Indiana University.
The mission of his nonprofit organization — Tavis Smiley Foundation — is to enlighten, encourage and empower black youth. Tavis Smiley Presents, a subsidiary of The Smiley Group Inc., brings ideas and people together through symposiums, seminars, forums and town hall meetings.
One of 10 children, Smiley is single and lives in Los Angeles. In his spare time, he enjoys a good game of Scrabble with friends.
