Tavis Smiley

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"Tavis Smiley" is the flagship program for KBLA, America's newest progressive radio network and LA's first Black-owned talk station. Broadcast live across southern California on 1580AM and around the world on KBLA1580.com and TuneIn, this podcast presents the best of Tavis Smiley's conversations with activists, influencers, thought leaders, and cultural vanguards.

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    • Sep 18, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • daily NEW EPISODES
    • 30m AVG DURATION
    • 2,553 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Tavis Smiley

    John Mellencamp joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 13:14 Transcription Available


    John Mellencamp talks to his Hoosier homeboy, Tavis Smiley, today about Farm Aid's 40th Anniversary!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Dr. Cornel West joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 20:37 Transcription Available


    Scholar, leading public intellectual, author, and special contributor, Dr. Cornel West, shares his thoughts about Trump's efforts to silence dissenters, violent political extremism and more. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Bishop William J. Barber II joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 40:09 Transcription Available


    President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of The Breach and Moral Mondays, Bishop William J. Barber II, talks about the impact of the Trump administration targeting hate speech and discusses his visit to Los Angeles for the national kickoff of Operation Liberty. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Chief Adjuah joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 32:36 Transcription Available


    Two-time Edison Award winning and five-time Grammy nominated “sonic architect, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and designer of innovative technologies and musical instruments”, Chief Adjuah tells us about his weekend of performances at the new venue Blue Note LA.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    A.B. Burns-Tucker & Elizabeth Booker Houston

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 40:32 Transcription Available


    Attorneys, political commentators and social media influencers, A.B. Burns-Tucker and Elizabeth Booker Houston, share their legal insights about the impact of Attorney General Bondi targeting people who use "hate speech" in this moment and other trending political topics. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Theodore R. Johnson joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 17:19 Transcription Available


    Washington Post contributing columnist Theodore Johnson talks about how former President Barack Obama makes an about face on red and blue America when it comes to California redistricting.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    John Avlon joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 22:22 Transcription Available


    John Avlon, former senior political analyst and anchor for CNN and Democratic candidate for Congress, is back with a look at how the mainstream media is getting the fight against fascism all wrong and normalizing the Trump narrative.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Robin Allison Davis joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 39:24 Transcription Available


    Robin Allison Davis, Emmy Award-winning journalist, takes us inside her new book, “Surviving Paris: A Memoir of Healing in the City of Light”, for those who may be designing their escape plan.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Peggy Carr joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 17:11 Transcription Available


    Washington Post contributing columnist Theodore Johnson talks about how former President Barack Obama makes an about face on red and blue America when it comes to California redistricting. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Carrie Lee joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 22:32 Transcription Available


    John Avlon, former senior political analyst and anchor for CNN and Democratic candidate for Congress, is back with a look at how the mainstream media is getting the fight against fascism all wrong and normalizing the Trump narrative.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Tim Golden joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 42:24 Transcription Available


    Professor, philosopher and legal analyst Tim Golden offers his insights about Trump officials vowing a crackdown on "left wing terrorism" after the Charlie Kirk killing and other trending political topics.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Mick Hunt joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 39:02 Transcription Available


    Mick Hunt, host of the hit podcast “Mick Unplugged”, goes inside his new book, “How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never had One: The Blueprint for Modern Leadership”.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    David Cole joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 16:14 Transcription Available


    David D. Cole, Georgetown University Professor in Law and Public Policy and former National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), explains how President Donald Trump's crackdown on flag burning is part of his effort to torch the Constitution.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Dr. Cornel West joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 19:43 Transcription Available


    Scholar, leading public intellectual, author, and special contributor, Dr. Cornel West shares his thoughts the consequences of free speech, even if it's the truth, and the 62nd commemoration of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, which took the lives of 4 Black girls and injured others.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Kevol and Ria Graham join Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 15:01 Transcription Available


    Kevol and Ria Graham, the husband-and-wife team behind Brooklyn's popular Caribbean restaurant Kokomo, explain what it's been like for two native New Yorkers to start a restaurant in a post-9/11 city.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Natalia Jones-Pinkney and Stevenson Tose'-Rigell join Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 21:58 Transcription Available


    Natalia Jones-Pinkney and Stevenson Tose'-Rigell share the experience of being with former President George W. Bush when he learned of the 9/11 attacks while reading a book to second graders at their elementary school.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 17:15 Transcription Available


    Our White House Correspondent and author of "Kamala, The Motherland and Me," Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey, gives us an update on the Trump administration's reaction to the death of Charlie Kirk and offers his take on the former Vice President's scathing criticism of the Biden administration.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Dr. Daniel Black joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 39:14 Transcription Available


    Professor of African American Studies at Clark Atlanta University and renowned author Dr. Daniel Black talks about how Black America should process this moment of political violence and other trending topics.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Dr. Cornel West joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2025 22:22 Transcription Available


    Scholar, leading public intellectual, author, and special contributor, Dr. Cornel West, talks about the impact of political violence in America, the 24th year commemoration of 9/11, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Connie Rice joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2025 25:15 Transcription Available


    Connie Rice, civil rights attorney and co-founder of the Urban Peace Institute, shares her analysis about the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, the potential backlash from Kamala Harris's book excerpts and other trending political topics. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    5 Critical Ways Leaders and Influencers Are Wrong About the Murder of Charlie Kirk with Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2025 15:14 Transcription Available


    We've got a lot to talk about! In this episode, Tavis Smiley keeps it real with 5 critical ways the mainstream media, religious influencers, and Democratic Party leaders are getting it wrong about the murder of Charlie Kirk. Tavis cuts through the noise, unpacks the misinformation, and breaks down what's truly at stake in this national conversation.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Tristan Harris joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 40:58 Transcription Available


    Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and host of the popular tech podcast “Your Undivided Attention”, lays out the real implications on everyday people of last week's White House dinner between tech leaders and President Donald Trump.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Lowell Bergman joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 39:51 Transcription Available


    Lowell Bergman, legendary investigative journalist as portrayed by Al Pacino in “The Insider”, reflects on the impact of the 9/11 attacks almost a quarter century later, and opines on the latest capitulation by CBS News' parent company to outside forces.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Nina Smith joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 40:05 Transcription Available


    Nina Smith, former senior adviser to Stacey Abrams and president of PoliSol Public Affairs, explains why she thinks Democrats are “missing political layups and dooming us all.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Tara Roberts joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 38:52 Transcription Available


    Tara Roberts, National Geographic Explorer and author of her new memoir, “Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging”, dives into her work locating the wrecks of slave ships around the world.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Teny Gross joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 22:25 Transcription Available


    Teny Gross, founder and CEO of the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, explains how Chicago experienced its lowest summer murder rate since 1965, how his organization helped make that happen, and how it all links back to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    John Wood Jr. joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 39:51 Transcription Available


    USA Today Opinion Columnist and host of The Reconstruction Project on KBLA Talk 1580AM, John Wood Jr. discusses his latest column on how the furor over the Cracker Barrel logo is really about erasing America's heritage, along with other trending political topics.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Trymaine Lee joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 40:16 Transcription Available


    Trymaine Lee, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, blends his own life with the history of guns and African Americans in his new book, “A Thousand Ways to Die: The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America”.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Adrinda Kelly and Stevona Elem-Rogers join Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 16:38 Transcription Available


    Adrinda “Dri” Kelly, executive director of the organization Black Education for New Orleans (BE NOLA), and Stevona "Stevie" Elem-Rogers, her chief of community programs and partnership, tell us how they are rebuilding the city's learning pipeline, 20 years after Hurricane Katrina.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Dr. Cornel West joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 21:42 Transcription Available


    Dr. Cornel West, scholar, leading public intellectual, author, and special contributor, talks about the impact of the Greensboro sit-in, in light of the recent death of civil rights pioneer Joseph McNeil.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Michael Fauntroy joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 23:05 Transcription Available


    Associate Professor and Founding Director of The Race, Politics, and Policy Center at George Mason University, Dr Michael K. Fauntroy gives his perspective on how  Trump's war on Black America isn't an accident but a strategy, along with other trending political topics. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver join Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 16:30 Transcription Available


    U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) explains why he is warning his Republican colleagues pushing for Trump's gerrymandering plan to “dig three graves” - one for the GOP, one for the Democrats, and one for the Republic.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Robert Livingston joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 37:23 Transcription Available


    Robert Livingston, social psychologist and lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, goes inside his new text, “Play the Game. Change the Game. Leave the Game. Pathways to Black Empowerment, Prosperity, and Joy.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    John Nichols joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 17:09 Transcription Available


    John Nichols, the Executive Editor for The Nation magazine, gives his perspective about the future of labor for American workers and how Democrats try to regroup, facing the crossroad of progressivism versus moderate appeal.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Rev. Lennox Yearwood joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 23:06 Transcription Available


    Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of The Hip-Hop Caucus and co-founder of Climate Revival, shares his thoughts about the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the climate and the pursuit of social justice, from then to now.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Danielle Moodie joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 36:00 Transcription Available


    Danielle Moodie, host of “The Danielle Moodie Show” on YouTube, co-host of As The World Churns and co-host of “Democracyish" podcast, gives her analysis about Trump now considering sending troops to New Orleans, instead of Chicago, and other trending political stories.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Kevin Johnson joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 39:25 Transcription Available


    Kevin Johnson, three time NBA All-Star and former Mayor of Sacramento, CA joins Tavis for a career conversation about basketball, politics and why he founded the National Association of Black Bookstores.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Spike Lee joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 19:22 Transcription Available


    Spike Lee takes us inside two of his latest joints, the film “Highest 2 Lowest” starring Denzel Washington and the Netflix docuseries “Katrina: Come Hell And High Water”.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Gerald Torres joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 21:54 Transcription Available


    Gerald Torres, Professor of Environmental Justice and Law at Yale University, makes the link between the Trump administration's weaponization of government against dissenters, particularly people of color, and "The Miner's Canary: Enlisting Race, Resisting Power, Transforming Democracy", which he co-wrote with late Harvard Law Professor Lani Guinier.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Rashid Khalidi joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 40:03 Transcription Available


    Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor Emeritus of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, explains why he cancelled his planned lecture course this semester because of Columbia's deal with President Donald Trump.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap join Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 33:58 Transcription Available


    Dee Dee Bridgewater, GRAMMY winning vocalist, and Bill Charlap, GRAMMY winning pianist, share the new collaborative album, “Elemental”.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Sonny Rollins joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 14:52 Transcription Available


    Sonny Rollins, legendary tenor saxophonist, is back to celebrate his 95th birthday this weekend.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Dr. Cornel West joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 21:55 Transcription Available


    Scholar, leading public intellectual, author and special contributor, Dr. Cornel West, shares his thoughts about the impact of the historic  Little Rock Nine school integration case 68 years ago and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Marcus Anthony Hunter joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 39:28 Transcription Available


    Professor of African American Studies at UCLA and author of "Radical Reparations: Healing The Soul Of A Nation," Marcus Anthony Hunter talks about his latest op-ed "Ignoring Black Contributions on Labor Day Holds Us All Back" and trending political topics. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Renée Watson joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 42:06 Transcription Available


    Renée Watson, New York Times bestselling author and mentee of famed poet Nikki Giovanni, shares with us her final collection, “The New Book: Poems, Letters, Blurbs, and Things,” which will be released posthumously on September 2nd.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Danielle Carter-Walters & Zoe Leigh joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 14:51 Transcription Available


    Danielle Carter-Walters and Zoe Leigh, the “beautiful” “African American ladies” and founders of Chicago Flips Red, let us know why they have caught the attention of President Donald Trump.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Dr. Cornel West joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 22:56 Transcription Available


    Scholar, leading public intellectual, author and special contributor, Dr. Cornel West shares his thoughts about the Minneapolis church school shooting and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Ret. Judge LaDoris Cordell joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 40:42 Transcription Available


    Retired Superior Court judge and author of “Her Honor: My Life On The Bench…What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It,” LaDoris Cordell offers her perspective on trending political and legal topics.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Bitter Kalli joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2025 15:22 Transcription Available


    Bitter Kalli, writer, land worker, and founder of the Star Apple Farm and Nursery, shares their new text “Mounted: On Horses, Blackness, and Liberation.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Dayvon Love joins Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2025 22:19 Transcription Available


    The Director of Public Policy for the think-tank Leaders of A Beautiful Struggle, Dayvon Love, talks about his newest op-ed "The Democratic Party is not enough against White Nationalism," and how federalizing police will impact Black youth in Baltimore.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

    Terence Blanchard and Aaron Neville join Tavis Smiley

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2025 34:14 Transcription Available


    Terence Blanchard, world-renowned composer and musician, and the one and only Aaron Neville are back to reflect on their native New Orleans 20 years since Hurricane Katrina.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

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