Tavis Smiley has resigned as a twice-weekly commentator on the syndicated "Tom Joyner Morning Show" after 11 years on the air, citing fatigue and a busy schedule in a personal call to Joyner. Joyner disputed that on the air and in his blog, however, writing: "The real reason is that he can't take the hate he's been getting regarding the Barack issue -- hate from the black people that he loves so much."
Read more here on how Tavis Smiley has resigned from 'Tom Joyner Morning Show'
AAPP: Hey Tavis, If 70-90% of black American voters are going against the candidate that you want to be President, while you kiss up in public to Hillary and Bill Clinton, sorry buddy, you are on the wrong side of black America.
It seems that your can't take the heat, and you know your wrong.
I guess you will be Bill and Hillary's publicist real soon. You should be ashamed of yourself. But then again, there is no shame in your political "GAME."
See Yah!
![](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl="http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/politico%2520logo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://as.barackobama.com/page/community/members%3fpage%3d15793&usg=__--8gzkqzq6sawnrxytkhrourczm=&h=49&w=246&sz=32&hl=en&start=3&sig2=6gqsd7u0vcfvfpdyi-zjdw&um=1&tbnid=342u5uzgw5fnpm:&tbnh=22&tbnw=110&ei=fdovsyxln82n-gbhhp2icq&prev=/images%3fq%3dpolitico%2blogo%26um%3d1%26hl%3den%26rlz%3d1b3ggic_enus304us304%26sa%3dg"){kind=small}
8 comments:
My, my, my, how the mighty have fallen! I used to have so much respect for Tavis and how he spoke for the African American people. But his behavior as of late has gotten worse and worse. I guess it was time for him to step down...
I guess many Americans of African descent now agree with the tactics of Right Wingers in silencing freedom of speech.
This is a shame, when a person cannot express her/his dissent against a candidate. Great job America. Great job...
No one silenced him. He has his own darn show!
I still think not only should Obama not have attended the State of the Black Union but Clinton shouldn't have been there either. Its not a format for politicians, it should be for grassroots activism.
AAPP - Great post and I've linked to it.
As I said in the Afrosphere, no matter what the "real" reason is, Tavis comes off looking like he's taking his ball and going home because we won't play the game his way.
Tavis has had his moment and opportunities but he's on the wrong side of his core constituencey and base right now, and no matter how they try to frame it, that is the reason he's running home crying right now.
Tavis Smiley is not down and out in America by a long shot.
He just got spanked like he needed to by us. That has happened to other leadership folks and he is not immune to having his incorrect actions corrected.
He can support Hillary Clinton or whomever he decides is worth his endorsement.
But the STOBU is not sanctioned by the black masses. It is not free and it is a commerical venture.
Citizen Politican you are way off base with your response to his resignation from the Joyner A.M.Show.
If you pay attention to the MSM reports, his face has been splashing over the screen with his latest venture.
He will be alright. The incident involving his demands is just one of many blunders that he will make in his lifetime. It is called being human.
All this does is solidify the point I made about his STOBU conference in the first place--it was a dog and pony show, meant for Smiley to get face time with the candidates in some form or another, and Obama didn't bite.
So Smiley got pissed, cause the centerpiece of that charade had the "audacity" to politely decline to attend an event that has little significance in detail on the issues in Black america, thus turning it into a 10 week hissyfit.
I like Smiley as a commentator, but the audience told him like they told others--we aren't sheep, and we aren't just going to go along with you each and every time. He has the right to disagree with Obama not showing up to the symposium, but to carry on about it as he has (and others as well) defeats the entire purpose of his symposium.
Smiley will not escape criticism. It will follow him wherever he goes. A man doesn't make a mistake like this and then try to justify it and sell it to the black public. You bet, he's gonna get hounded straight out of Dodge.
WOW!!!
So this is this what the African-American Community has come to? We have fought for hundreds of years for our own freedom and right to free speech just to be silenced by our own people when we don't agree politically. Because Tavis tried to open our eyes about a candidate who virtually came out of no where, he's crucified and nailed to a cross. Is it fair to the many African-American voters who are voting for the Independent or even Republican candidate that they too be called sell outs and racist because they chose a candidate based on the seriousness of the issues instead of the skin color? Is it fair to Barack Obama that the majority of African-Americans are voting for him just because he is Black? Is it ok to have a differece of opinion in politics without the racist backlash because the opposing candidate is white? Can the African-American community survive after November should McCain win the Presidency? Will African-Americans be as passionate about the next democratic candidate in 2012 if that person happens to be white who carries a message of change? These are some of the questions I'd like answered by the many black people who do not consider themselves racist but objective.
Tavis is a strong and intelligent brother so I'm sure he will put this behind him and continue to prosper. I've never agreed with Tavis all the time but I feel for him because of the knife shoved in his back by his own people.
Post a Comment