Famed talk show host, author, political commentator, entrepreneur, advocate and philanthropist Tavis Smiley traveled across the country last week promoting the release of his new book, Fail Up: 20 Lessons on Building Success From Failure, but also discussed some vital issues concerning how he wants to encourage President Barack Obama to address Black unemployment rates in depth. Check out the interview highlights below and connect to the rest of the interview via the links provided for more.
On the Tavis and Obama drama:
We have to respect our President, and I do. We have to protect the President, and I do. But we also have to correct the President, remember he is a politician, not a prophet like Dr. King.
We have to push him into his greatness for him to become a great President and hold him accountable, lovingly not with malice, but there are some things he has to step up on like black unemployment, wars, and poverty.
On Black unemployment:
We gotta check him respectfully, he can’t be afraid to talk about black unemployment, when he needed to stand up for the Jews he did, gays and lesbians? he did, immigration for the Hispanic community? he did so don’t leave black folks twisted in the wind because you are afraid of being accused of being “tribal” and giving negroes the “hook up”. We are the most loyal part of your base!
…If you want the deficit to go down, put black folk back to work!
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RELATED LINKS:
Tavis Smiley Talks Obama, Black Unemployment
An Open Letter to Tavis Smiley
Tavis Smiley Reflects on Failures in New Book
Black unemployment rises as joblessness drops
How to reduce the Black unemployment rate
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