On The Tavis Smiley/ Barack Obama Controversy

February 18, 2008 by Marc Lamont Hill

Does Tavis realize that Obama is trying to win an election?

Who Died and Made Tavis King?
By Melissa Harris-Lacewell

Who put Tavis Smiley in charge?

Over the past two months African Americans have emerged as equal partners in a multi-racial, intergenerational, bipartisan, national coalition led by the most exciting political candidate of the past four decades, who also happens to be the first viable African-American presidential possibility in our history. So why is Tavis Smiley throwing a temper tantrum?

He is mad because Obama has not promised to attend Smiley’s “State of the Black Union” next week in New Orleans. At last year’s SOTBU Al Sharpton, Cornel West and others joined Tavis is roundly criticizing Obama for not attending. Where was Barack that weekend? Oh yeah, he was announcing his bid for the U.S. presidency. This year, Obama is busy trying to win Texas, which has emerged as the firewall state for the Hillary Clinton campaign. Obama wins Texas; Hillary goes home. But Tavis & Co. think Obama should spend precious hours chatting with them about their agenda?

(Jimi Izrael wondered the same thing about him and the other Popes of Blackness.) Let me be clear: I respect the importance of the SOTBU. Tavis performs an essential public service by creating and reproducing a critical black counter-public through this event. The event is decidedly democratic because it is open to a true variety of black voices. Every year it showcases black intellect, commitment and ideological diversity. All this is great, but it doesn’t make Tavis the gatekeeper. It certainly doesn’t give him the right to act as King-Maker, or in this case Queen-Maker.

Tavis and his guests have every right to criticize Obama if they have substantive disagreements with his policy, his approach to politics or his viability as a general election candidate. They do not have a right to create a false, racial litmus test. All these black leaders who spent the year telling us that Obama is not old enough, not black enough and not angry enough to earn African American votes must have noticed that Obama can deliver the black vote to himself, by himself, with little help from these self-proclaimed racial power brokers.

I can’t quite figure out what motivates Tavis. At least I understand the old guard Civil Rights leaders. They are genuinely unwilling to cede power, believing that they have an authenticity claim based on their proximity to Martin Luther King, Jr. I also understand the frightened Democratic insiders who rely on the remnants of the Clinton machine for their bread and butter. But Tavis is not in either category. He is a part of a new generation of journalists who have carved out their own constituency. I am actually surprised to see Smiley join a pile-on led by his former boss Bob Johnson, who tried to silence him with such an ungracious termination a decade ago.

For the rest of the story, click here.

Categories: MLH
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11 Comments

1. kenda wrote:

tavis needs to check his ego. MHL, as usual, does a great job of breaking it down.

February 18, 2008 @ 3:51 pm

2. Ian wrote:

I thought dinasours were extinct.

February 18, 2008 @ 3:58 pm

3. Nubian King wrote:

WHAT temper tandrum???? What pile-on has Smiley joined in??? This article lacks direct quotes from Smiley (or any other so-called detractor)? We are creating a controversy that doesn’t exist!

February 18, 2008 @ 4:38 pm

4. Rayne wrote:

Maybe they are haters just like Marc Lamont Hill. Oops, did I say that out loud?

February 18, 2008 @ 6:57 pm

5. sarah carter wrote:

Did Tavis have his customary commentary yesterday? I didn’t get a chance to hear the TJMS yesterday and I was curious to know if he commented on this or what his commentary was. If he didn’t have his regular commentary, why? Thank you.

February 22, 2008 @ 7:39 pm

6. Tommy Allen wrote:

Id have to say that Tavis is showing his true colors. His overwhelming support by corporations such as Walmart and Exon mobile have not been lost on me. These are corporations built to make money regardless of the impact it has on all Americans… including black people.

I represent a different generation of black voters who aren’t confined to a racially defined thought process. I do, however, recognize the ramifications of such a thought process in the actions of those, like Smiley, who have built platforms for themselves to be heard above the fray. People who prey on ignorance cannot be trusted… bottom line.

To subtly suggest that my generation doesn’t have the intuitive or critical thinking skills to choose our president wisely, and that our choice is one based on our ignorance is an egregious offense to us… thus the backlash Smiley has received. We heard no such arguments posed subtly or otherwise when Clinton was polling higher with black voters.

WE ARE NOT STUPID. Those who want to retain their current positions in government, talk radio, and PBS.. ahem.. had better recognize that WE make those decisions… and at this rate… a goodly number of them will be looking for new jobs soon.

http://youtube.com/user/Tlallen29

February 26, 2008 @ 2:52 pm

7. Dori winn wrote:

Where were all of you when he invited white candiates who never came and he criticized them. Was he having a tantrum then?

February 27, 2008 @ 10:27 am

8. anon wrote:

This is such an interesting topic. Actually Dr. Boyce Watkins had something interesting to say about this. Its on http://www.yourblackworld.com. I thought it was a good response.

March 2, 2008 @ 1:20 pm

9. Dwight G wrote:

As a 45 year old black male that was a young child when Dr. King was assasinated, feel thought as a people we could unite. I have supported everyone one of the past black candidates that has vied for the office of President, even when many people said that to support a black candidate is like throwing your vote away, I cared not. I hate to see what has happened between these gentlemen, and the impact this public squabble is and wil have on so many others whom have not made up there minds about Sen. Obama. The Senator may or may not fulfil all of his promises, as with so many other Presindents of the past, surely if elected he will be bird-dogged by the opposing party, as usual. Most assuredly, for my young adult children and my yet unborn grandchildren, black america needs a President, this in-turn will inspire generations of black children to better in school and take academics much more seriously. Believe/accept it or not Sen. Obama is vital to us all, let put away the crap and press on…

April 13, 2008 @ 9:49 pm

10. Ms. Davis wrote:

I thougth the world of Tavis, I can’t understand why he would at like this, I always knew he was a clinton lover, but for him to treat Obama like he has is just mean, I don’t think much of that show anyway. Tavis if you are so concern about the state of blacks, start coming in our neighborhood, help our young black boys do something for themselfs , stop going on tv talking. Don’t talk about,be about it. And stop getting mad if people don’t want to come on that show. You just want to be seen.

That show hasn’t done a thing for us poor black folks.

May 27, 2008 @ 2:43 am

11. Regina Greene wrote:

I never missed a Tavis Smiley Show, but since Obama has been President, I can’t believe some of the mean spirited comments coming out of Tavis’ mouth. It makes me wonder who he is really trying to impress?? Is this his way of not appearing too black, to keep his job on PBS, or does he really believe the garbage that he is spewing about Obama? I don’t really get what his complaint is about Obama, but it seems every chance he gets, he making negative innudendoes about the President. I am in disbelief, we finally have a black president, and you have another black man on TV, putting him down, and knocking him for no good reason. I just don’t get that mentality. Tavis is a good interviewer, but because he is so slanted against the President, I don’t watch his show anymore. One other thing, I can’t stand that bushy headed Cornell West, why don’t he go gt his hair combed or cut that mess. He just really turns me off, with all his rhetoric about Obama. Tavis, and West are both haters. Shame on both of them.

June 8, 2011 @ 1:09 am

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