(Photo: Wireimage)
Tavis Smiley is leaving the Tom Joyner Morning Show. On Friday, Joyner told listeners he thought the reason Smiley is quitting is because he “can’t take the hate he’s getting over this Barack Obama thing”.
In a statement released Friday, Joyner said:
I got a call from Tavis on yesterday. And he told me he was quitting the show. He told me the reason was that he was tired and has a lot of things going on, and he feels that now is a good time to leave the show.
We all know that isn’t the real reason he’s leaving the show. 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. He needed to feel the love. We all do, whether it’s from our radio audience or from people we know personally. He wasn’t feeling any love, so he quit. [ Listen to Joyner's on-air announcement. ]
Tavis’s camp sent us a statement, and he said:
“There is no way to put into words the love and respect that Tom Joyner and I have for each other, or the love affair that I’ve had with TJMS listeners for almost 12 years now.
Due to the overwhelming amount of phone calls and emails I have received from listeners and other media, I wanted to briefly clarify a few issues that I will address more fully in my regular TJMS commentary on Tuesday morning, April 15, at 8:20 a.m. ET.
I did not “quit” the Tom Joyner Morning Show effective immediately. In July I will celebrate my 12th anniversary with the show, and as I discussed with Tom, it is my intention to take on the issues of the day in my commentary twice every week with the same energy, passion and commitment until the end of June.
Contrary to what has been suggested, I have decided to clear some things off my plate so that I can devote my time and attention to some exciting and empowering projects that The Smiley Group, Inc. and other divisions of my company have underway this summer, this fall and beyond.
I look forward to continuing the dialogue on Tuesday and in the coming months.
*****RE: Msesquire (No.57)
What I don’t understand is that even prior to the State of the Black Union event BLACK people were encouraging and supporting Baracks decision not to attend. I’m not entirely sure of this — and God knows I hope its not true — but it almost seems as if some Black folks have it in their minds that we are going to somehow sneak this Black man into office right under the noses of white America by supporting him but not asking anything of him. Those who see that as a viable and successful strategy, good luck with that; I’d like to hear your assessment of this strategy after this all plays itself out.
It’s sad that people have tried to sum Tavis up by what is perhaps is a slightly juvenile reaction to Barack’s not attending the SOTBU but if we’re being honest we all have our juvenile moments, some of us on this board are literally in that stage of life. My point is that the venomous attacking of Smiley to defend Obama is counter productive and counter intuitive to what should be our goal of STRENGTHENING BLACK LEADERSHIP in this country.
As Black people, its almost built into our DNA that we have to choose between one or the other. I’m not excusing Tavis Smiley’s OBVIOUS blunders, but for some of us to use this as an opportunity to call him arrogant, questions his loyalty and activism in the Black community and align him with the Clintons in some type of conspiracy against Barack is far reaching at best.
“I used to like Tavis, but ever since BET he’s gotten arrogant?” He’s a Black intellectual man who has worked hard for his seat at the table, and in taking it he has not withdrawn from the Black community and only speak to or about us when it suits his purpose. OBAMA on the other hand has not been a face in our community and seems to only reach out to us when it suits HIS agenda. Some of this very comment board have articulated valiant concerns and made some great points about the changes in his behavior and corelated those behavior with time; that makes sense.
But it seems like some people are kind of like “WELL I NEVER LIKED HIM ANYWAY” and are happy that he will no longer be on the TJMS! Are you serious? Tavis provides throughout his commentary on the TJMS insight into issues facing our community. Does he make an income off his efforts? Sure he does. Has he earned a right to make an income off those efforts? Yes! We all support people who do far less to uplift our community than Tavis and make FAR MORE MONEY doing it.
Tavis doesn’t have to comment on Hillary or question her motives publicly, because Hillary is not leading in the polls and Hillary has given up on really seeking the Black vote. Tavis Smiley’s point to us as Black people is to make Barack work for our vote the same way he is working for the votes of White America. Our support SHOULD NOT DEFAULT TO BARACK OBAMA just because he’s a BLACK INTELLECT with a HARVARD LAW DEGREE who just so happens to be a democrat.
Even I as a Barack supporter have to ask myself, with the exception of South Carolina, Mississippi and Georgia when on this campaign trail is he going to discuss the issues that face our community. To those that feel that we aren’t entitled to ask him to speak about his commitment to our issues, I ask you to assess what you think a Presidential campaign is about?
We hear Barack speaking about immigration, why because White America and Latino America are up in arms about it, so HE IS actively speaking and stating his agenda to these communities. In Pennsylvania he is attempting to get the working class White vote, and in order to do that he is speaking with them about WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO FOR THEM SHOULD HE BECOME PRESIDENT?
What about us? That’s Tavis Smiley’s point irregardless of whether its personal or not Tavis Smiley has posed some interesting thinking points to us. And moreover reminded us of our power.
thats ridiculous, everyone is not going to be on your side all of the time
if tom pressured him that would be a shame, let that man support who he wants!
Fuck Travis. When was the last time you told a grown ass man to come somewhere or else. That shit don’t work. Travis mistaked Obama for a TRICK! The sad thing is this will follow Travis till he leaves this earth. After all the work he has done for blacks, he will always be known as the house educated nigga that turned on Obama.
I also wanted to add that the State of the Black Union this year was a joke. It was nothing but sound bites that political candidates can use for this Nov. election. There were no solutions just speeches from the usual suspects. How can someone like Dr. Michael Eric Dyson help the poor and disadvantage when they can’t understand a damn word he says. You have to have a PH.D to understand him. I heard another black talk show host say that most of the panel was so busy trying to show how smart they are, that they forgot to address the issues. I knew exactly who he was talking about.
We don’t have the Tom Joyner show here in NY any longer but I agree #4! I suppose TJ didn’t agree with obvious opposition on his show.
Tavis Smiley is just a money hungry fake anyway….he isn’t a true black leader or intellectual and he was just jealous of Obama in the first place…he’s a lap dog for the Clintons and his commentaries were getting on my nerves anyway…so I say good riddance….and also I wasn’t mad at Obama for not attending the state of the Black Union….because all that event is…is an excuse for Smiley to get together with all his booshey negro friends and stay in a nice hotel, plug their books and kick it together, and shoot around a bunch of hot air..it never does a bit of damn good for anybody in the community.
Good riddance. One less stuck in a time warp dummy on the air. We will never fully awaken with ‘dead’ people running the show…no offense Tav but please use this time to further your understanding of history and politics from a meta-physical (Black) perspective.
i think the reason why people in our communities find it so hard to digest what tavis is speaking concerning barack obama, is because it just seems so hypocritical. how can you in one breathe fault barack for missing this particular event (when it was obvious that it was more important for him to be on the road campaigning) and throw dirt on his name with so much venom but then in return praise hillary clinton. this is something i just cant take. he continues to question obama but when he call for hilary to answer for all the lies she has told. the whole situation just seems fishy to me..
For those of us who turn the station when Travis speaks please continue to do so. I see this as a ploy for him to get us to listen to his bull crap come Tuesday. It’s very clear that we don’t want to hear his nonsense. He is a classic example of JEALOUSY! He will never be in the same standard as Obama. Good riddance. I agree!
Now that Tom corrected his so called “mistatement” about Tavis’ departure date this morning to say that yes, Tavis is leaving in June and not immediately (which changes the entire context of his leaving the show), I wonder what all you Tavis haters have to say now? I guess an Obama supporter does no harm, lol!!
“How can someone like Dr. Michael Eric Dyson help the poor and disadvantage when they can’t understand a damn word he says. ”
It’s easy. It’s called being literate. Being poor and/or disadvantage is absolutely NO EXCUSE for being illiterate and uneducated. The last time I checked, public schools are FREE. I grew up poor,attended poor mostly black schools, so I KNOW what that is, but I NEVER used it as an excuse to be uneducated.
I understand Dr.Dyson quite well it’s not just because I read a LOT.
And for all of you that think the SOTBU is a ‘hustle” for the people selling books, what is so wrong with a legit hustle in the black community??? So it’s OK for Black folks to “hustle” CD’s, tennis shoes, perfume, ect ect, but not OK to “hustle” books? That’s just way beyond trifling!
I don’t know what the “Obama issue” is all about, but I fellout with Travis hired Frank Luntz to be his pollster for the president debate he had at the black college last year. Luntz is an extreme rightwinger, who’s help they Bushies and the rightwing slime machine hijack this country over the last five years.
Luntz and his cronies have said anything and everything, about any and everyone, in an to further their fascist, imperialistic goals. Tavis was made aware of the disdain the Left has for Luntz. Tavis was arrongant and derisive in his response to us on the Left. I cut him loose at that point.
I am thrilled that a black man is finally a serious contender for the presidential nomination. I was a child in the 60s and saw terror that our people endured. Anybody that tells you that nothings changed is full of shit. Having said that, we are not a homogenous people and should not vote for someone just because they are black.
I am born and raised in L.A. and we’ve every level of black elected official in California except govenor, and most of them have been useless, including most in office now. Having said that, I am voting for the Democrat, I don’t give a damned which one of them it is, it’s progress( a brother ofr a woman). And we should have the right to choose either without being defamed.
Hilary and Barack are both corporatist. She gets hers from pacs, he gets his from Wall Street.
@ 70
If it’s a hustle call it a hustle….don’t sit around on a stage pretending like to you are coming up with the next great revelation for black people…pretending like you give a fuck…when in reality you can’t wait for the shit to be over so you catch your first class flight back to where ever…..that’s the problem i have the state of the black union….talking about revolution…while a big banner full of all these different coporate sponsers is hanging behind your back….they are full of shit…and if you can’t see that maybe you are up to your eyeballs in the bullcrap tavis and others like him are pushing.
Thank you Shaq for pointing out the Luntz issue, that sure did fly under the radar at the time…and yeah Obama is corporate democrat just like Clinton….but unlike Clinton..i think he still possesses a soul and I don’t think he would screw the country over as bad as she would…plus the Bushes and the Clintons and tied in together much more than people realize and she’s talking one game now…but once she got in office she would probably just pick up where georgie left off…because it’s not about the right vs the left…it’s about the right left paradigm now…my choice for president would have been either Dennis Kuccinich or Ron Paul….but that wasn’t going to happen…so now I am left with Obama and I think he’s better than Clinton or McCain…and would actually consider how his decisions would affect the working class, middle class and the poor.
Okay…this is my last post in here….i got fired up, lol.
Signing off-Tavis Sucks!
Wendell – #61 “irregardless” is not a word.
Obama 08′
I Talk about full of yourself. You mean people start being critical of Tavis so he decides to leave? See you later you big baby.
TAVIS IS A CLOWN! LETS KEEP IT REAL, THIS HOUSE NIG*A IS RECEIVING CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CLINTON’S AND IS REALLY CONFUSED ON THE OBAMA FACTOR! OBAMA HAS THAT THING THAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW AND SORRY TAVIS….WE NEED CHANGE….HILLARY’S TRUE COLORS CAME OUT AFTER IOWA! HER NECK WAS SEVEN DIFFERENT SHADES OF RED!
OBAMA…2008
DID SOMEONE PUT MCCAIN 08 IN ANOTHER POST……..OH MY! WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? DON’T BE STUPID! I LAST I LOOKED GAS WAS ALMOST 4$ A GALLON , WE ARE LOOSING BROTHERS ON A DAILY IN IRAQ, NO HEALTH INSURANCE, ALL THIS UNDER THE HANDS OF REPUBLICANS! RE-EVALUATE BLACK PEOPLE! VOTE THE RIGHT WAY, VOTE OBAMA! 2008!
I
I stand corrected, irregardless = regardless. How’s that?
@76, Yeah I put McCain 08 in my post, you gotta problem with that?
You’re voting Obama – great. We’re at WAR, so coming from a MILITARY family/marriage, I’m going with McCain in 08!
Now about gas being $4/gallon, sell your SUV if you can’t afford it. I started riding the bus/metro/walking YEARS ago when I saw what was happening with gas prices and didn’t have to (and still don’t need to). What did YOU do? Republicians aren’t the reason gas is high. Gas is high because so many of you aren’t willing to change your lifestyles and Exon knows it.
Now back to the topic, I think Tom purposely put out false info regarding Tavis to bring back his listeners.
Dr. Cornel Wests’ thoughts on the issue:
http://www.essence.com/es...s/0,16109,1730312,00.html
I love Tavis and will continue to watch his great PBS show but he is full of himself on this Obama. He needs to let Obama do what he needs to do to win and when he gets in the Whitehouse he will focus on issues that eefect the community more than any other cadidate in this race. If he needs to meet with every white person in Indiana and PA let him do his thing. He is tryin gto make history and does need to attend tavis Smiley and Cornell West apporved events. We know he loves King, Tavis, an black people but he is trying to win!!! Obama spent his life working on behalf of poor black people in Chicago and how dare West and Tavis try to diss him during the fight of his life!!!!!!!!!!! Tavis needs to fall back!
@ 79
I personally don’t have a problem with your support of John McCain, but there are plenty of military families that are supporting the democratic candidates. John McCain’s military history doesn’t neccissarily make him best qualified to lead this country in a time of war. Afterall, he who has been a POW and tortured during his time in captivity – admitted himself that torture isn’t an adaquate means of getting accurate information from prisoners. Yet, he voted in support of water boarding?
In 2000 he lashed out against Jerry Falwell and other Evangelical’s and now he has aligned himself with evangelicals. He spoke about a conscious conflict in voting for the Bush tax cuts, so he voted against them. Now, he wants to make them permenant?
You should be concerned about much more than the War. To say that you were WILLING to walk because of rsising gas prices, tells me that you don’t believe there is something wrong with the irresponsible way our economy is being handled. But you seem to have a typical Republican conservative outlook, that whole “pull yourself up by your boot straps” thing and while I respect that but there are those that need help from our government and there are those that if given a little bit of relief CAN then pull themselves up by their own boot straps.
As for TAVIS and TOM! I don’t think he purposely put out false info, I think he was reacting based on emotion. Clearly he was upset and while professing to be Tavis Smiley’s friend he also named him the “Bama of the Day.”
I love the fact that this election process has gotten more people talking, reading, thinking, and sharing their opinions. Personally, I’m tired of Tavis’s Pentecostal sermons on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I understand Tom Joyner feeling like he was losing a family member with Tavis leaving, but like Jay said, it was time for him to move on. (Their dialog this morning was intense!!) Tom forgot that people are around for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Tavis, it seems, was a season.
As for Michael Eric Dyson, I appreciate the fact that he is an educated black man but he doesn’t have to use every big word he ever learned in his lifetime in every 2 minute sound bite he has….example MSNBC Friday night. And why aren’t he, Cornell, and others teaching at some of the HBCUs? This is what intergration got us.
My 2 cents.
Wendell , wou should NOT assume a persons entire political portfolio based on a few lines on a blog. War is what I mentioned in that post because I think EVERY candidate for president should have previoulsy served in the military. McCain in the ONLY qualified candidate of those remaining in my book.
Now about why I walk, I walk for other reasons, namly I want to STAY fine and it’s healthy. Furthermore, as a person in the medical field, I practice what I preach to patients.
Typical republican outlook? This time you’ve gone from assumptions to ASSumptions. I’ve voted democratic for the past 6 elections. I’m for affirmative action and believe in a womans right to abortion. I vote based on who I think is qualified to be president, not based on what other black folks are doing or what a particular political party is doing.
I thought you were reasonably intelligent, but you made the same tired ol assumptions so called educated blacks make when another highly educated black has a point of view that’s different than yours. And hell yeah, folks ought to pull themselves up by their bootstraps! I didn’t have boots much less bootstraps, and now I’m going to be a doctor in a few years. Mentors black AND white, minority scholarships, and my own determination got me where I am today.
So in future posts if you’re going to address me again, please do so with some level of objectivity until you know who you’re dealing with.
“And why aren’t he, Cornell, and others teaching at some of the HBCUs? This is what intergration got us”
Are u kidding? First, black folks should vote to Obama because he’s black, and now Black professionals should teach only at HBCU’s?
As a current G’town Hoya WITH Dr. Dyson, I think your viewpoint is very 19th century. The man speaks ENGLISH yet ONLY black people have a problem with that? Wake up man! We live in an multinational world and those who are able to move beyond monolithic, backwards thinking and keep an open mind, will be the most successful.
This is just the beginning of having “Amos N Andy” in the white house! White people have seen nothing yet!!
@ Justice66
I applaud you on your efforts and your accomplishments. Ironic that your posting-name is “justice” I myself am 1 1/2 away from earning my JD from Phoenix School of Law. Look we can trade accolades and accomplishments all day.
My assessment was spot on regarding your conservative ideals. In fact, it took no real analysis — anyone reading your post could see that you have that “bootstraps” approach to success which, by no means do I find ineffective or even unwise for that matter. I didn’t have boots nor bootstraps either, everything I have achieved has been the result of a single parent who encouraged me to go all the way or stand completely still. Those were the options my mothers gave me, and I didn’t choose the later.
While my educational accomplishments do make me “reasonably” intelligent, it is the wisdom I’ve obtained through living that makes me “SOUNDLY” intelligent. Perhaps I should have inserted some objectivity in my last post, but I did not assume your voting portfolio…LOL! I merely challenged why SIMPLY serving in the military somehow qualifies an individual to be President over and beyond progressive foreign policy plans and solid economic sensibility — which (the jury has been out on this awhile) McCain himself admits to being too complicated for him.
He’s even pushing a health plan that according to Elizabeth Edwards, he wouldn’t even be able to receive care because of his previous bouts with skin cancer.
A President should be chosen based on their accomplishments, and service YES! But there are more ways to serve this country than just the military. I appreciate and admire what he endured for all of us, but at the same time I live in the state of Arizona, he’s my Senator and I can tell you I am not impressed. I’m just not. Why? Not because he is Republican, I come from a family that voted for Regan and Clinton. I’m not impressed because he isn’t in touch with common, everyday people and what they need in order to raise their families and achieve a little financial stability. He’s simply OUT OF TOUCH! Now suddenly he is prepared to admit that we’re in a recession? Good job, but you’re a little late. Now he’s ready to detest war and call for some type of end to the Iraq War? Good job, but you’re a little late. Now you’re ready to admit that we should do something about the foreclosure CRISIS that we’re in? Good job, but you’re a little late!
You and I fall under that category of people that they say “don’t really need a President” in that it is implied that because we’ve made some wise career choices, we will be OK no matter what economic struggles the country faces. But nevertheless, if you are anything like me, you have cousins and friends that aren’t so fortunate who do need to vote in favor of their economic needs. You and I both know that McCain isn’t going to do much to rescue to economy from what he is FINALLY calling a recession.
Sorry for the typos but I was speed typing on the keyboard and when that happens, I usually make more mistakes.
No problem with the typos and I appreciate your response.
To be honest, I would like to have seen either Richardson or Edwards (I used to live in NC) go all the way, but I guess that wasn’t meant to be.
It’s the lesser of 3 very not so very qualified candidates IMHO, none of whom is perfect on any one issue. Still, I’m going with McCain in 08 after having voted for Clinton in the Primary.
I really liked Edwards, too me in terms of battling corpoate agenda which is the root cause of the mess that we’re in (needless to say, besides the war) — Edwards was the most outspoken against corporate america. He even proposed alternatives to the media to encourage them to be non-bias as the “liberal media” is supposed to be.
Richards, wasn’t too impressed with him but then again I paid him very little attention. When I get a chance this weekend, I’ll review his legislative proposals.
Did anyone hear Tavis commentary this morning? Very gentleman like and classy.
Pingback: » NEWS ROUND UP: BOB JOHNSON AT IT AGAIN / TAVIS SMILEY UPDATE // 'CONCRETELOOP.COM' YOU BETTER ACT LIKE YOU KNOW!
Pingback: A Couple of Uncle Toms - Bob Johnson + Tavis Smiley Updates | THUG FICTION
I wish him and his company the best. I am not ashamed to say that Obama, Hillary McCain and the rest are bought and paid for. If I give you 100,000 dollars, I’m going to be expecting something in return. I wish Cynthia McKinney and Ron Paul would’ve teamed up.
After the “drug wars” and “gang problems” of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, we’ve finally got a solid footing to work with. Lets start companies, invent ,create and grow again. Stay clean, stay honest, and keep grounded.
When the day comes, I like Tavis and everyone else (hopefully), will be going with as much information as I can get . I’ll be writing Ron Paul. The only decision I could live with.
Ron Paul 2008
Tavis thinks he is the “go to” person for all things black and he needs to go sit his arse down some damn where. When black folks start acting like they have some damn sense and stop doing totally random stupid sh*t for the heck of it then we wont feel the need to have some GREAT BLACK HOPE to speak on our behalf.
Pingback: » POLITICAL/NEWS ROUNDUP: Beijing bars told to ban black people during Olympics / CONDI PRAISES BARACK & PLANS TO MOVE ON / TAVIS TALKS // 'CONCRETELOOP.COM' - hi to all our haters!!!