Santa Monica College will host Tavis Smiley – the renowned talk show host, author, and philanthropist – for a free talk at 11 am Tuesday, Sept. 24 in the SMC Theatre Arts Main Stage on the main campus, 1900 Pico Blvd. Seating is on a first-arrival basis.
Smiley, host of the late-night TV talk show “Tavis Smiley” on PBS for the past decade, also hosts “The Tavis Smiley Show” and “Smiley & West” from Public Radio International (PRI), and the daily radio program “Tavis Talks” on the Tavis Smiley Network (TSN).
An award-winning commentator, Smiley is a prolific author whose most recent book, co-authored with Dr. Cornel West, is “The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto.”
A New York Times bestseller, the book challenges Americans to re-examine their assumptions about what poverty is in America and how to eradicate it.
Smiley’s other books include the New York Times bestsellers “What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America” and “Accountable: Making America As Good As Its Promise.”
Smiley is respected across the nation as an outstanding voice for change. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce recently announced that he will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014.
TIME magazine honored Smiley in 2009 in its annual list of “The World’s 100 Most Influential People,” which profiles men and women who have made a significant difference in the world.
Smiley’s passion to inspire the next generation of leaders led him to establish the nonprofit Tavis Smiley Foundation. The foundation provides leadership training and development programs for youth, and has served more than 6,000 young people since its inception.
Smiley’s talk is sponsored by the SMC Associates (www.smc.edu/associates), a private organization that funds speakers and special programs at the college.
For information, call 310.434.4303.
