Tavis Smiley

Cecil Brown, UC Berkeley professor and Richard Pryor's longtime friend and collaborator, celebrates the life of the GOAT as we mark 20 years since his passing this week. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Eva Aridjis-Fuentes, director of the fascinating documentary "Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus,” helps us celebrate what would have been the 65th birthday of the mysterious singer, best known for her haunting track “Goodbye Horses” in Jonathan Demme's film “The Silence of the Lambs.”   Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Rev. Willie Williams, chair of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, Mississippi, talks about their latest acquisition — the barn where the Black teenager from Chicago was lynched, tortured and killed 70 years ago.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dr. Cornel West, scholar, leading public intellectual, author, and special contributor, shares his thoughts on the passing of the first Black education secretary Rod Paige, the progressive autopsy report by RootsAction that tells how Democrats lost the White House and more.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Barbara McQuade, University of Michigan law professor and author of the New York Times bestseller “Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America,” gives an update on the ongoing smackdown between President Donald Trump and the U.S. Constitution.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Lee Bey, architecture critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, is back with his exclusive look inside Home Court, the first Obama Center building to be completed, and reflects on the legacy of the late Frank Gehry. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Justin Elliott and Jahreem Samuels, co-founders of the WRTH app, “the world's first AI and blockchain-verified commerce platform,” reveal details of their new six-figure investment from AWS.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

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

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) explains how ranked-choice voting will be a factor in the 2026 primaries and why he increased his security following a recent incident involving one of the pardoned January 6th perpetrators.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Kal Raustiala, UCLA law professor and author of “The Absolutely Indispensable Man: Ralph Bunche, the United Nations, and the Fight to End Empire,” celebrates today's 75th anniversary of the civil rights leader's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Thomas Wilkins, Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, previews his upcoming holiday program at Disney Concert Hall in celebration of Duke Ellington, “The Nutcracker,” and Carlos Simon's “Four Black American Dances.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Donna Beisel, Director of Museum Operations at the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University in Montgomery, Alabama, discusses their new exhibit featuring never-before-seen photos of the iconic civil rights leader.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

 Associate Professor and Founding Director of the Race, Politics, and Policy Center at George Mason University, Dr. Michael K. Fauntroy shares his thoughts on how Trump's hateful rhetoric has flipped America's race conversation into a dangerous space for its citizens.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Jaime Harrison, former DNC chair and host of the YouTube show and podcast “At Our Table,” previews a major party leadership meeting in LA this week and what Democrats need to do to become the majority in Congress next year.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Autism interventionist, author, and Vice President of the Los Angeles Speech & Therapy Center, Dr. Ashley Wiley-Johnson joins Tavis in studio to discuss her latest work on autism and how we can better support people who thrive with differences and clinical disorders.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Robert Primus, the recently fired member of the Senate-appointed Surface Transportation Board (STB), discusses his federal racial discrimination lawsuit against the Trump administration as he seeks to return to work.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson returns with the latest on his moral city budget and his new small business initiative.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dr. Cornel West, scholar, leading public intellectual, author, and special contributor, shares his thoughts on Trump receiving the FIFA Peace Prize, his colonial style peace deal with African nations, and more. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist and Director of the Center for Urban Journalism at Morgan State University, Leonard Pitts Jr., gives his analysis on the upcoming Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship, the New York Times lawsuit against the Pentagon, and other trending political news.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dr. Willie James Jennings, author and Yale Divinity School professor, takes us inside Yale Divinity School's new “eco-theological” residence hall and marks 15 years since the release of his seminal text, “The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Oliver Chi, city manager of Santa Monica, California, shares details about the reparations paid to the family of Silas White, the Black entrepreneur whose Ebony Beach Club was seized by the city in the 1950s.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dr. Cornel West, scholar, leading public intellectual, author, and special contributor, shares his thoughts on Trump's mischaracterizations of Black immigrants, why empathy is the new Christian battleground, and more.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Award-winning talk show host and Founding Director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice at Loyola University Maryland, Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead discusses the upcoming 160th anniversary of the end of chattel slavery this Saturday and how we can prepare for the 100th anniversary of Black History commemorations.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) gives an update on the pushback against the ICE detention center in her suburban Chicago district and explains how she flipped a traditionally Republican seat.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

University of Michigan professor, award-winning cultural translator, and author Marcus Collins shares his thoughts on America staring down the erasure of Black history and progress this year, the White House's new media bias tracker, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Joshua Clark Davis, historian at the University of Baltimore and author of “Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back,” explains how newly unveiled photos of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reveal the depth of NYPD surveillance.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Briahna Joy Gray, political strategist and host of the “Bad Faith” podcast, looks ahead to the 2026 midterms as progressive democratic socialists and centrist Blue Dogs prepare to tussle in the primaries.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Deji Laray, creator and executive producer of the ALLBLK TV series "G.R.I.T.S. (Girls Raised In The South)," along with star and co-executive producer Thomas Q. Jones, is back with an inside look at their latest program.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Basketball writer Paul Knepper talks about his new text, "Moses Malone: The Life of a Basketball Prophet," telling the story of the three-time MVP “anti-superstar” who was shy around the media and humble on the court.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Tara Pringle Jefferson, author of the new book "Bloom How You Must: A Black Woman's Guide to Self-Care and Generational Healing," shares how Civil Rights leaders Coretta Scott King, Betty Shabazz, Myrlie Evers-Williams, and Rosa Parks used self-care to take a break from the stress of the movement.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Award-winning organizer, philanthropic consultant, and co-founder of Black Voters Matter, LaTosha Brown, talks about her economic pressure campaign "We Ain't Buying It" and why she's calling for the boycott of Trump enablers. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Michael Goodyear, associate professor at New York Law School, looks at how this week's Supreme Court case, Cox v. Sony, could change how we all access the internet and cut off those who need it the most.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Historian, professor and UC Santa Barbara's Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Jeffrey Stewart, celebrates the 100th anniversary of “The New Negro: An Interpretation”, his new edition of that seminal anthology and his 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning text about “The New Negro” editor Alain Locke.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Shawn VanDiver, founder and President of #AfghanEvac, explains why the U.S. needs to keep its promise to our Afghan allies - and not scapegoat them for the November 26 attack.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dr. Cornel West, scholar, leading public intellectual, author, and special contributor, shares his thoughts on Pam Bondi accusing progressives for fueling hatred toward the National Guard, the lessons of the Montgomery Bus Boycott 70 years later and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Nationally syndicated columnist for The Creators Syndicate, Ruben Navarette, discusses Trump's intensified anti-immigration stance in response to the National Guard shooting and the "deeper implosion" within the Republican party after the resignation of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Economist, professor and founder of the nonprofit Economic Education, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, talks about how Trump's student loan reforms target Black professionalism and other trending political topics.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

SNL Alum Leslie Jones talks about her new stand-up special on Peacock ''Leslie Jones: Life - Part 2," her time on “Saturday Night Live" and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Cybersecurity expert MK Palmore shares his insight about the Algorithmic Disclosure Act and why algorithmic pricing can be a threat to online shoppers this season.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Raquel Graham, "Shark Tank" winner, CEO of Roq Innovation, and host of "Entrepreneuring with Raquel Graham" on KBLA Talk 1580 shares her thoughts about the upcoming economic boycott for Black Friday and the importance of supporting Black businesses this holiday season.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Civil rights attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network, Nekima Levy Armstrong, discusses trending political topics.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Beloved actress Heather Hemmens helps us get into the holiday spirit with a preview of her latest Hallmark Channel Christmas movie, “The Snow Must Go On”, which drops this Friday and runs all season long on Netflix.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Olly Sholotan, best known for his break-out role as Carlton in the Peacock series “Bel-Air”, reflects on the fourth and final season of the dramatic reboot, which dropped this week.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Jaron Lanier, futurist, public intellectual, and computer scientist, is back with an update on the intersection of AI and humans - as this December marks 35 years since the first web browser, website, and server were up and running.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

In honor of the passing of the longest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Mother Viola Fletcher, we reprise her last in-studio conversation with Tavis.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

The Delicious Miss Kardea Brown, two-time Emmy Award-winning chef and New York Times bestselling author, reminds her cousins in her latest cookbook to “Make Do With What You Have”, with more than 100 recipe updates of her favorite childhood meals, just in time for the holidays.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dr. Cornel West, scholar, leading public intellectual, author, and special contributor, shares his thoughts about the meeting between President Trump and the New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Professor, philosopher and legal analyst Tim Golden offers his insights about Trump accusations of "seditious behavior" against Democrats, the Supreme Court case about mail-in ballots and other trending political news.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Tiffany Haddish is back to catch us up on the past two years since her last appearance on the program and goes inside her new Peacock show, “Tiffany Haddish Goes Off”.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Brittany Packnett Cunningham, former Ferguson protest leader and civil rights activist, talks about her new role as Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of the seminal organization, Children's Defense Fund.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dr. Cornel West, scholar, leading public intellectual, author, and special contributor, shares his thoughts about the fate of former Harvard president, Larry Summers, the Pope's criticism of the Trump administration on immigration and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.