Without the Tavis Smiley show on NPR I would never have become enlightened by the words of Cornel West or Michael Eric Dyson.  I would have never laughed so hard without Tavis Smiley’s interviews with Tommy Davidson.  Most importantly, I would have never become privy to issues affecting black people in America as much as I did while listening to Tavis Smiley.  Now Tavis Smiley will leave the air because huge markets that cater to white intellectuals never gave Tavis’ show an opportunity (yes, I’m talking about you, Portland).  They never allowed him to permeate the white culture as he did me.  NPR should be ashamed.

“Yet, after all that we’ve accomplished towards our goal of seeking a broader, more diverse and younger audience for public radio,” he said, “NPR’s own research has confirmed that NPR has simply failed to meaningfully reach out to a broad spectrum of Americans who would benefit from public radio but simply don’t know it exists or what it offers.”

Tavis Smiley to Leave NPR After 3 Years

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