By Dr. Boyce Watkins
I’ll start by saying that I love Tavis Smiley and have a tremendous amount of respect for him. Ok, I’ve said it, and I meant it. I hope you believe me as I write.
Tavis Smiley’s work in the Black community is critically important. I encourage Tavis, in the midst of such work, to remember that there is a difference between being an intelligent guide to enlightenment and being downright self-righteous. Tavis has a way of putting political leaders “on blast” for not showing up at his forums. When he held a debate for the Republicans in the 2008 Presidential Primaries, there were several Republican presidential candidates who chose not to attend. I understand being upset about this, because the Republican Party has paid dearly for its racism and ignorance of the needs of the Black community. Smiley responded to the Republican snub by putting the name of the candidate on the podium even if they were not there. This was a clear reminder to those in the audience that the leader “doesn’t care about issues in the Black community.”
When holding the State of the Black Union of 2008 (some confuse it with the State of Black America, issued each year by the Urban League), Smiley again invited as many political leaders as he could find, with Hillary Clinton being his star for the day. Then Senator Barack Obama, in the middle of a heated battle for Democratic delegates in Texas and Ohio, said that he could not attend the forum. Instead, he offered his wife Michelle to attend in his place. That’s when the drama got heated.
Tavis, appearing to be offended by Obama’s slight toward his conference, proceeded to nibble away at Obama’s heels every morning on The Tom Joyner Morning Show. The segments started with “he-say, she-say”, in which Tavis claimed that no one from the Obama camp offered Michelle up for attendance. But even if they had, Tavis claimed that no spouse of a presidential candidate would be acceptable for the conference, even Bill Clinton.
I must admit that I felt Tavis was doing a “Karl Rove” on the truth. Smiley’s snub of Michelle Obama was also a slap in the face of Black women everywhere who have tremendous respect for Michelle. Finally, Smiley’s words and actions bordered on petty and angered the millions of African-Americans who’d come to believe that Barack Obama could walk on water. While I’ve never felt that Obama could walk on water, I certainly did not understand Smiley’s confused obsession with Obama’s behavior. Smiley’s comments toward the Black presidential candidate reminded me of the same double standard I can sometimes get as a Black professor. You may have Black students who feel a certain degree of comfort with you, and thus empowered enough to attack you more than they would a White professor with whom they have no prior social affiliation. These situations can be nightmares, as they reflect problems with the collective self-esteem of the Black community, which leads us to feel that attacking and hurting one another is easier, and thus more satisfying than working together to fight Black oppression. In other words, Smiley was reflecting the same sentiment held by Black men who shoot one another on the street, but stand in fear of the racism in White America. Aaron McGruder, creator of the popular cartoon, “The Boondocks”, would refer to this as “a nigger moment.”
Phones were ringing off the hook, as I had friends from California to New York calling and asking “What’s wrong with Tavis?” I had no idea, since I don’t know Tavis personally. However, because we run in the same circles, I know plenty of people who know plenty of people who know Tavis. One of my great and respected friends, Kyle Bowser, is one of Tavis’ best friends, and Kyle rang my phone the day after I made my comments. Going through the blogs of other Black scholars, I had a chance to see their reactions. Melissa Harris-Lacewell at Princeton University, an intelligent (though somewhat elitist) scholar, happened to be incredibly poignant in her critique of Tavis Smiley’s behavior.
Melissa angered Tavis by writing a column that asked ”Who died and made Tavis King?”. I wasn’t as direct in my critique of Tavis, but I did have some strong words for him. I did not want to deliver any commentary on the Tavis via the major networks, since I honestly feel that there are some conversations Black folks need to have behind closed doors. But given that we get nearly 100,000 Black readers per week on our website YourBlackWorld, I felt this to be a fitting venue to let the world know how I feel.
I issued a statement agreeing with my friend Roland Martin at CNN, who felt that Tavis was out of line by making such a strong demand on Obama at such a critical time. Yes, Hillary Clinton showed up in spite of being on the same campaign trail, but the fact was that Hillary was well positioned to win in the upcoming battlegrounds states, Texas and Ohio. Also, Hillary Clinton needed to regain the ground in the Black community that was lost when her husband Bill shot himself in the foot. The words out of Bill Clinton’s mouth were so vile, that his own “ghetto pass” was revoked immediately. Clinton had compared Barack Obama to Jesse Jackson, implying that he was simply a Black presidential candidate with no chance to win White voters. While Jesse ran a great campaign, the notion that Obama’s fate would be similar to his own was disappointing for many Black people to hear. Clinton was no longer one of us, and he certainly was not the “first Black president” anymore.
I also felt that Tavis should have been more careful about being too critical of Obama in light of the fact that he was accusing Barack of doing some things that he himself had been doing. For example, Tavis claimed that he was not going to give Obama a “ghetto pass” just because he was Black. Rather, he would challenge him and question him like he would anyone else. First, Tavis’ words presumed (self-righteously) that he knows what is best for Black folks and we cannot make this determination ourselves. No one gives the “ghetto pass” to Ward Connerly (the guy in California fighting against Affirmative Action) or Condoleeza Rice, so the idea that Black candidates get votes only because they are Black is simply ridiculous. A “ghetto pass”, should such a pass exist, must be earned, and Obama had earned the love, trust and support of the Black community. To presume that people were supporting him just because he is Black is an insult to the collective intelligence of the Black community.
Secondly, Tavis himself had been long receiving the very same “ghetto passes” that he felt Black America was unfairly bestowing upon Obama. As powerful and revolutionary as Tavis may have sounded on The Tom Joyner Morning show, the fact that you hear “This was brought to you by Walmart” at the end of each segment reminds you that the message has been diluted by corporate sponsorship. No great Black revolutionary in American history has ever been brought to you by McDonald’s, Walmart, Wells Fargo, or any of the other corporations that sponsor Tavis’ forums.
Additionally, there is a clear reality in the life of Tavis Smiley, one that he cannot ignore: the Covenant with Black America, The State of the Black Union Conference, The “Pass The Mic” Tour, and everything else Tavis has done was created with the express objective of obtaining revenue and profitability for his corporate sponsors. Tavis has sold himself (and I do not use the word “sold” in a negative sense) to White American corporations as the broker of Black leadership. He is the man that many corporate executives believe they can go to in order to reach the African-American masses. We are the drugs, and he is the pusher: White corporate America represents the group of addicts getting high on the profitability of Black consumption.
As a Finance Professor, I must say that I see nothing wrong with the Tavis Smiley business model. I am not here to say that Tavis has “sold out”, for I don’t believe he has. We all sell something in order to make a living, and even the concept of “selling out” presumes that one has managed the thin line between making a profitable trade, versus giving up something of tremendous value. The problems with the Tavis Smiley business model arise when such a business model is pursued carelessly or selfishly. I do not accuse Tavis Smiley of being careless or selfish. However, his attacks on Senator Barack Obama, none of which were thrust on Senator Hillary Clinton, smelled of self-interest from a man who appeared to feel slighted that Obama jumped his place in the line of great Black leadership.
I felt sorry for Tavis after seeing the reactions of our readers on YourBlackWorld. Hundreds of emails and comments were coming in every day, with many readers claiming that they were once Tavis Smiley fans, but not anymore. Overnight, Tavis went from being incredibly popular, to becoming the Milly Vanilly of social commentary. I can’t help but wonder what happened behind closed doors, as I am sure his publisher became concerned that he could no longer sell books. His corporate sponsors were surely aware of the fact that he was not in control of the Black audience they were buying from him. I am willing to bet that his life was a mess, at least for a while.
I hope this year’s State of the Black Union Conference is a bit more balanced. Tavis is a good brother who deserves our respect. But it is my greatest hope that he learns the difference between balanced critiques and flat out “haterology”. I do a lot of critiquing, but when it comes to Obama, I want him to succeed. I sincerely hope that Tavis wants the same.
This is an excerpt from the book “Black American Money” by Dr. Boyce Watkins, to be released in April 2009. For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.
"10 Things You should consider about the State of the Black Union"
3 comments:
Tavis is still at it! He has President Obama on brain and can't let go. He asserts that when Obama objected to the elevation of Roland Burris to the US Senate, blacks in Illinois "ROSE UP" in defense of Burris. This is not true! Blacks in Chicago and the state of Illinois are roundly against his remaining in the Senate and want him to go. The only blacks that support him are a hand full of political activist that love television cameras and bright lights. They speak only for themselves. When Tavis reaches for straws like that, it only makes him look like he is sinking to a new low of pettiness.
Boyce,
I adore you. I had to say that - and I hope you believe that as you continue reading. In fact, a close friend often says you and I share one mind - that's how much I typically agree with you.
HOWEVER: you've missed it on Tavis. I'm a very recent convert of Mr. Smiley's, but I defend him fully, completely and purely in the stance he has taken on Mr. Obama.
Through hard work, determination, and sheer fortitude of character, Mr. Smiley rose up through the ranks of journalism to where he is today. He's proven his love, compassion and conviction for the black community, my community.
He loves us as I believe you love us - and again, he's proven it. Mr. Obama has not. As any true journalist would, Mr. Smiley chose to question Mr. Obama and hold him accountable to his audience, black people - which you yourself have called vehemently for. And, as you state in this entry, Mr. Smiley treated Mr. Obama just as he did the the republicans who chose not to be there: he called them out.
That took strength and conviction. Mr. Smiley had both. Concerning Michelle - she was not invited, nor was any other candidate's wife. And, every black person in America, and Mars too, knows why Mr. Obama did not attend the state of the Black Union - because he did not want to associate himself with the black community, which is also why he also did not attend the 40th anniversary of MLK Jr's passing.
In this election, Mr. Obama placated and promised everyone something in this election but blacks - but he then rode the wave of their low self esteem into the White House. I say low self-esteem, because you only get out of a relationship what you demand for yourself. There's an old saying that says we treat people how to treat us - and blacks asked nothing of Mr. Obama and got exactly that: nothing. Unless you count euphoria.
That's not enough for those of us who believed in the american Dream, did it the way they told us to - went to school, got an education, got a job, worked hard - and then got screwed. And still get screwed daily.
November 5, people still went to that same job where they've got more education than anybody else, but have been passed over for a promotion umpteen times. Nov. 5, young black boys still got belittled in the classroom and put in special education without cause because of racism. Nov. 5 someone went to the EEOC, filed a discrimination suit and was told they didn't have a case because they weren't called a nigger.
All of these are things I've seen.
Nov. 5 nothing changed for us - because we demanded nothing for ourselves and we wouldn't allow someone like Mr. Smiley to question Mr. Obama.
And he needed to be questioned - to be held accountable.
Think about it. In that brilliant speech Mr. Obama gave in Philadelphia, he addressed the problems of many clearly and with clarity. He understood them. Women, he said, faced glass ceilings. The working class was worried about their jobs going overseas. (Or something to this nature.) But, I'll never forget how hurt I felt when I saw how he addressed blacks: he talked about fatherlessness, a moral problem. Not a concrete, real problem like everybody else's, but a moral issue, despite the fact that research reveals a man's number one reason for leaving his children or his family is his ability to provide for them. Now who lacks opportunity and chance more than black men in America? If our black men had been raised abroad in Hawaii and Indonesia with a Harvard grad as a mother - they'd have the "audacity of hope" too.
But,I digress.
My point is that Mr. Obama did not address the very real ills that face our community because of racism. He can't or won't address them - because of racism.
Mr. Smiley, however, attempted to love us and Mr. Obama by standing up to our new president and demanding something for us as black people.
Mr. Smiley is courageous and a man of character - as I believe you are. His corporate beholdings have not negated the content of his character to my knowledge - just as Booker T. washington's alignment with the majority did not negate his work in our community.
Lastly, unfortunately, it may be you, Boyce, that's suffering from envy. Tavis-envy - though there's no reason for that.
You don't seem to see clearly when it comes to him. I'm not sure why. He's loved us with a papable, tangible love - one we've seen time and time again throughout the years. Yet, we, the beloved, threw the lover away at the first sign of another.
That's sad.
I pray someday, we, as a people, learn to love those who truly love us instead of chasing after those who have not yet demonstrated any affection for us - or barely even looked our way.
As the old folks used to say, "If you want to be wanted, you need to want the one that wanting you."
Or something like that.
Wow, I couldn' agree more with the second Anonymous comment.
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