Every since President-elect Obama first snubbed Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union event in 2007, launching his bid for presidency on the same day in the land of Lincoln, it has slowly created a public rift with Tavis and the community. When the event was held again this year, Senator Hillary Clinton accepted Tavis's invitation, while Obama offered to send his wife, Michelle, in his place as a peace offering so that he could continue campaigning in key battleground states. However, for what ever reason, this was unacceptable to Tavis, since he was hoping to use the New York Times best-selling book he edited, Covenant with Black America, as a tool to hold the presidential candidates accountable to the black community.
Unfortunately, at the time he was editing his book, Tavis, like the rest of us, had no earthly idea, we would have a viable black candidate, running for the highest seat in the States. Tavis was hoping to put the stamp on the next president at his high-profile event for the community, which aired on C-Span, using his book. Now that we have learned more about Obama's successful campaign strategy, its probably fair to say he didn't want to be pigeonholed as a candidate for just the black community, so he opted to skip Tavis's events.
If Obama or Michelle would have attended the State of the Black Union, which has been known to have guests expressing radical views, they could have found themselves fighting off comments that they or others may have made on live TV, haunting them during the campaign. Furthermore, many months later Obama could have possibly found himself defending his association with both Rev. Wright and Tavis's event. This might have been too much for him to overcome, and he might not be headed to the White House today.
Since Obama snubbed both events, Tavis's popular commentaries about Obama on The Tom Joyner Morning Show alienated many listeners. For years, many blacks had seen Tavis as a social and political guiding light for the community. But as the Clinton's experienced earlier this year, once the community caught the "Obama fever" there was nothing that anyone could say or do to sway us off this love train. Just as Al Sharpton said at the 2004 Democratic Convention after losing his presidential bid, "we decided we'd ride this donkey as far as it would take us." These same sentiments represent how many in the black community felt about supporting Obama.
As Tavis continues to mature in his professional career, celebrating his fifth year with his signature late night talk show "Tavis Smiley on PBS," he, like many politicians and journalists, has been forced to move to the center. He has become less opinionated and more objective, like his well-respected colleague Gwen Ifill, who also hosts a show on the same network. Those black folks, as Tavis always affectionately refer to his community, who over the years consistently watched Tavis's PBS nightly show and listened to his regular radio commentaries, saw the tangled web our highly opinionated brother was weaving for himself.
Some of the brash statements Tavis made on Tom's radio show would have been disagreeable to the pretentious Hollywood actors he regularly woos to appear on his PBS show. For those of us who have worked in corporate America, we realize the dual roles we must play as a person of color in America to succeed.
And Tavis understands it too, based on how he conducts his late night TV show. Yet, during Obama's presidential bid, Tavis continued to judge him by a different standard -- overlooking the fact that this brilliant brother was running for the President of the United States, not just black America. Marc Morial, former mayor of New Orleans and the president of the National Urban League, recently reminded Tavis during an appearance on his TV show that successful politicians have to represent the interest of all their constituents to get elected. I guess since Tavis hasn't held a political office, this is outside of his frame of reference.
Moreover, contrary to what Tavis has advocated in his radio commentaries, many of the guests he interviews on his PBS show neither engage, challenge nor stimulate our community. More specifically, many of his Hollywood guests only appear to promote their personal projects. Now if it wasn't for Tavis's base of highly educated PBS viewers, would his nightly show still be on the air?
I'm not sure how many of us are regular viewers of his nightly show or his weekly radio show on NPR, but isn't Tavis following Oprah's model for success and that of other successful blacks?
Many of us are still perplexed by Tavis's lack of vocal support for President-elect Obama. Is he doing this to propel his career? What if the community boycotted Tavis for not having every one of his PBS shows appeal to people of color? If my brother could only understand the hypocrisy. Tavis is doing exactly what Obama, Oprah and others have done to thrive in their professional careers. If he is truly walking the walk and talking the talk, he would only have guests of interest to his once loyal black base.
Unfortunately, as Tavis has learned, in order for him to steer the racial barriers imposed by white America, like President-elect Obama, he can no longer be seen as being favorable to one group over another. The self-described journalist and political junkie must be seen in the eyes of white America, as being both diverse and open to all points of view.
Until 2042 -- when minorities are the majority, according to Census Bureau -- Tavis has to follow the prescribed model for success, if he expects to keep his show on PBS -- even if it means he has to alienate the community.
I still love my brother Tavis. But I just wish he would pull-up in public and become less critical of President-elect Obama.
Jeff Fortson is a self-described political junkie and editor of JeffCars.com, an educational car-buying Web site for minorities.
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