Smiley and West
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Karen Lewis
Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis critiques the largest school closing plan in U.S. history, approved this week by the Chicago school board. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on President Obama's political predicaments, in light of his speeches at Morehouse College and National Defense University.
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Maceo Parker and Bill Ayers
Maceo Parker looks back at his days with James Brown and the legacy of funk music, as laid out in his new autobiography 98% Funky Stuff: My Life in Music and his new album Soul Classics. Plus, controversial activist Bill Ayers, author of the upcoming text Public Enemy: Confessions of an American Dissident, reflects on the link between education and demo
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Maceo Parker and Bill Ayers
Maceo Parker looks back at his days with James Brown and the legacy of funk music, as laid out in his new autobiography 98% Funky Stuff: My Life in Music and his new album Soul Classics. Plus, controversial activist Bill Ayers, author of the upcoming text Public Enemy: Confessions of an American Dissident, reflects on the link between education and demo
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Julian Assange and Rashad Robinson
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sits down with West at the Ecuadorian embassy in London to talk about his latest text, Cypherpunks. Plus, Color of Change executive director Rashad Robinson tells Smiley and West about his group's successful campaign to get the "dehumanizing" TV program Cops removed from the Fox network after 25 years.
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Cecilia Fire Thunder
Cecilia Fire Thunder, the first female president of the Oglala Sioux tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation, commemorates the uprising at Wounded Knee, which ended 40 years ago this week. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on the deadly indifference in Texas and Bangladesh, and President Obama's stance on the conflict in Syria.
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Herbie Hancock
Legendary musician Herbie Hancock, now a Goodwill Ambassador for UNESCO, celebrates International Jazz Day. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on America's identity crisis over the Boston bombing suspect, the Senate's drone hearings, and the re-writing of President George W. Bush's legacy.
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Bob Moses
Civil rights leader Bob Moses reflects on 50 years of struggle, and more than 30 years teaching young people algebra. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on the bombings in Boston, Afghanistan, and Iraq, the deadly drone bombings in Pakistan, and the death of gun control legislation on Capitol Hill.
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Erin Brockovich
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich explains how she's helping victims of a sinkhole in Louisiana. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on this week's immigration protest on Capitol Hill, President Obama's cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and the controversial legacy of Margaret Thatcher.
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Dee Dee Bridgewater and Zaheer Ali
Dee Dee Bridgewater reflects on her life and career and previews the upcoming New York premiere of "Lady Day". Plus, Zaheer Ali, researcher for the late historian Manning Marable, goes inside the creation of Manning's controversial text, "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention".
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Melvin Van Peebles
Renaissance man Melvin Van Peebles reflects on his legendary career, as he prepares to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Chicago International Music Movies Festival on April 20. Plus, Smiley and West discuss the national impact of Chicago's school closings protest, the stop-and-frisk trial in NYC, and growing opposition to U.S. drones.
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Bill Ayres
Former priest Bill Ayres, executive director of WhyHunger, tells Smiley and West about his calling to feed those in need. Plus, Smiley previews the April 6 symposium, Latino Nation: Beyond the Numbers, with Antonio Gonzalez, president of the William C. Velasquez Institute.
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Renee Fleming
Renee Fleming on her role as Blanche Dubois in the new performance of Andr Previn's opera, A Streetcar Named Desire. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on the leaked audio statement of whistleblower Bradley Manning, and the closed-door White House meeting on drones.
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George Lakoff
UC Berkeley linguistics professor and presidential adviser George Lakoff shares his magical world of words. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on the legacy of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the death of democracy in Detroit.
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Alice Rivlin
Economist Alice Rivlin, the original director of the Congressional Budget Office and panelist on the Simpson-Bowles Commission, takes us inside the sequester debate. Plus, Smiley and West discuss the future of the Voting Rights Act, signs of the new Jim Crow, and the West Virginia Senate's new child poverty committee.
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Paul Rieckhoff
Paul Rieckhoff, founder and executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, previews his group's annual "Storm the Hill" campaign. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on the new minimum wage push, President Obama's memo on child soldiers, and one Democrat's decision to leave the party.
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Ron Paul
Former Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul talks about drones, Libertarianism, and his new radio program.
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Mumia Abu-Jamal & Stephen Vittoria
West dialogs with Mumia Abu-Jamal, the former death row inmate now serving a life sentence, and director Stephen Vittoria talks about his new documentary about Mumia, Long Distance Revolutionary. Plus, Smiley West reflect on President Obama's license to kill.
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Sister Helen Prejean
Sister Helen Prejean, the inspiration behind the Oscar-winning film, Dead Man Walking, talks about the current state of capital punishment in America. Plus, Smiley and West discuss the murder of Hadiya Pendleton, the immigration compromise, and the two new Black Senators.
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Ambassador William vanden Heuvel
Ambassador William vanden Heuvel, chair emeritus of the Roosevelt Institute, tells us about the new FDR memorial in New York City. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on President Obama's inauguration speech, the new White House drone policy, and the inclusion of the civil rights movement in the gun control debate.
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Vision for a New America: A Future Without Poverty
Highlights from the nationally-televised symposium Vision for a New America: A Future Without Poverty with moderator Tavis Smiley and panelists Newt Gingrich, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, John Graham, Jeffrey Sachs, Rose Ann DeMoro, Mariana Chilton, Cornel West, and Jonathan Kozol.
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Jonathan Kozol and Susannah Heschel
Education activist Jonathan Kozol, previews the January 17th event Vision for a New America: A Future Without Poverty. Plus, Dartmouth professor Susannah Heschel reflects on the legacy of her father, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
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James Earl Jones, Audra McDonald and George Takei
In this celebration of Broadway, highlights from Smiley and West's conversations with Tony Award winners James Earl Jones and Audra McDonald, as well as Star Trek actor George Takei.
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Buddy Guy
Listen to our 2010 conversation with blues legend Buddy Guy, in celebration of his Kennedy Center Honor this month. Plus, Smiley and West reveal the five most censored stories of 2012 with the help of Project Censored and Sonoma State University.
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Pete Seeger
Folk singer Pete Seeger, fresh off his star-studded benefit concert for political prisoner Leonard Peltier, reflects on his long life and career. Plus, Smiley and West look at the "sick culture of violence" and the latest negotiations about the so-called fiscal cliff.
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Wynton Marsalis
Trumpet master Wynton Marsalis celebrates 25 years of Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he is now the artistic director. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on the anti-union bill signed in Michigan, and the new effort to create a Black Agenda for President Obama.
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Diane Ravitch
Former U..S Assistant Education Secretary Diane Ravitch reveals why she is now a fierce opponent of privatization within public schools. Plus, Smiley and West seek out specifics in the fiscal cliff debate and reflect on the criticism of Secretary of State hopeful Susan Rice by environmentalists and human rights activists.
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Nawal El Saadawi
Egyptian activist and writer Nawal El Saadawi takes us inside her country's revolution. Plus, Smiley and West look at how the push for austerity by rich folks will push is pushing poor folks over the cliff.
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Brother Ali and The Cornel West Theory
Albino, Muslim hip-hop artist Brother Ali talks about his harassment by the Department of Homeland Security and his new album, "Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color". Plus, Tim Hicks and Rashad Dobbins, two members of The Cornel West Theory, dialog with their ensemble's namesake about their political and musical traditions.
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Post-Election Special: Sherrod Brown, Marcia Fudge,...
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, incoming Congressional Black Caucus chair and Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge, Texas Congressman-elect Joaquin Castro, and Univision anchorman Jorge Ramos join Smiley in this post-election special.
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Amy Goodman
In this special edition of Smiley West, highlights from Poverty, Power, and the Public Airwaves, a town hall event featuring Tavis Smiley, Cornel West, and Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman. The event took place November 8 at Northwestern University Law School in Chicago.
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Poverty, Power, and the Public Airwaves
The complete town hall event recorded live at Northwestern University Law School in Chicago featuring Smiley, West, and Democracy Now host Amy Goodman.
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Jeffrey Toobin
Jeffrey Toobin, CNN legal analyst and staff writer for The New Yorker, goes inside the Supreme Court, as laid out in his new text, The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on the final weekend of the presidential campaign before Tuesday's election.
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bell hooks & Julianne Malveaux
Author bell hooks reflects on love and spirituality in her new text, Writing Beyond Race: Living Theory and Practice. Plus, with Smiley on assignment, Dr. Julianne Malveaux joins West in the Hot Stuff to discuss the final stretch of the 2012 campaign and the perfect test scores of 34 Black students in Oakland, CA.
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Oliver Sacks
Neurologist Oliver Sacks takes us inside the human mind -- and his new text, Hallucinations. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on the second presidential debate and look ahead to the final debate on foreign policy.
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Clarke Peters
Actor Clarke Peters talks about his roles in the HBO dramas Treme and The Wire, as well as his real-life run-in with the FBI. Plus, Smiley and West discuss the recent rise of presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the polls and the Arkansas Republican candidate who wants to execute "rebellious children".
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George Takei and Bob Avakian
Star Trek actor George Takei tells Smiley and West about growing up in an American concentration camp, the subject of his new musical, Allegiance. Plus, Revolutionary Communist Party chairman Bob Avakian tells West about his decades-long struggle against capitalism.
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Lori Wallach
Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, tells Smiley and West why the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal is bad for poor and working people around the globe. Plus, President Obama surges in swing states while a new report finds his drone bombings in Pakistan are ineffective.
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The Poverty Tour 2.0 - Ohio
Day one of The Poverty Tour 2.0 recorded live at the Westfield Studio Theater in Cleveland, OH on September 12, 2012.
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The Poverty Tour 2.0 - Virginia
Day two of The Poverty Tour 2.0 recorded live at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA on September 13, 2012.
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The Poverty Tour 2.0 - Pennsylvania
Day three of The Poverty Tour 2.0 recorded live at Tenth Memorial Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA on September 14, 2012.
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Dan Rather
Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather gives his Texas take on the drug war and this year's presidential election. Plus, highlights from Philadelphia, PA and West Palm Beach, FL, the final two stops on The Poverty Tour 2.0.
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The Poverty Tour 2.0
Highlights from the first two stops on The Poverty Tour 2.0 in Cleveland, OH and Alexandria, VA featuring U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Dr. Jill Stein, Peter Edelman, United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, and Ralph Nader.
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PRI: Bob Edgar, Rose Ann DeMoro, and Teresa Tomlinson
Bob Edgar of Common Cause, exposes the six billion dollar election and Rose Ann DeMoro of National Nurses United explains why her union is sitting out this year's presidential election. Plus, Smiley and West dissect the DNC, Rahm Emanuel battles Chicago's teachers, and Bishop Desmond Tutu wants Bush and Blair in the Hague.
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Mike Huckabee, Sen Bernie Sanders, Ry Cooder, Heidi...
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, US Senator Bernie Sanders, National Lawyers Guild executive director Heidi Boghosian, and guitarist Ry Cooder join Smiley and West for their un-Convention-al coverage of the RNC and DNC. Plus, West previews the upcoming Blow the Whistle on Stop-and-Frisk action on September 13th.
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Shirley Sherrod and Ralph Nadar
Former US Ag Dept employee Shirley Sherrod recalls her firing by the Obama administration after an attack by the late rightwing blogger Andrew Breitbart. Plus with West away in Germany, Ralph Nader joins Smiley in the Hot Stuff to talk about raising the minimum wage to 10 dollars per hour. And a pastor from Oklahoma takes Smiley to task.
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PRI: Wattstax Tribute: Isaac Hayes, Al Bell, Rance Allen
Smiley and West celebrate the 40th anniversary of the historic Wattstax music festival at the L.A. Coliseum with its creator, former Stax Records executive Al Bell, as well as performers Rance Allen and the late Isaac Hayes.
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Dan Aykroyd, Paul Mooney and Garrett Morris
Smiley and West celebrate four decades of the groundbreaking comedy Saturday Night Live with original cast members Dan Aykroyd and Garrett Morris. Plus, comedian Paul Mooney reflects on his work with the legendary Richard Pryor, who hosted SNL in 1975.
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Sonny Rollins & Terence Blanchard
With next week's release of the new Spike Lee joint "Red Hook Summer", Smiley and West share highlights from their conversation with Lee's longtime collaborator, composer and musician Terence Blanchard. Plus, Smiley and West's complete conversation with the Saxophone Colossus, Sonny Rollins, recorded in December 2011.
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Stephen Sondheim, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, and Barbra...
Cornel West's complete conversation with legendary songwriter Stephen Sondheim. Plus, highlights from Smiley and West's conversation with the Oscar-winning songwriter duo Alan Marilyn Bergman including a surprise visit from their muse, Barbra Streisand.
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Audra McDonald
Five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald talks about her title role in the re-imagining of the controversial opera "Porgy Bess". Plus, Smiley and West discuss the State Budget Crisis Task Force's ominous findings, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's 1% mortgage rate, and this weekend's Keep The Promise rally in Washington, DC.
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Roseanne Barr
Emmy-winning actress and comedian Roseanne Barr announces the end of her presidential campaign, just days before she was scheduled to speak at this weekend's Green Party convention in Baltimore. Plus, the president's new tax cut plan, Esquire's article "The Lethal Presidency of Barack Obama", and the backlash to comments made by James Earl Jones.
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James Earl Jones
Legendary actor James Earl Jones talks about his Tony-nominated role in Gore Vidal's The Best Man. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on the threat by some Black pastors to withhold their support for President Obama over the issue of same-sex marriage, the NYPD's "wanted poster" for two stop-and-frisk activists, and the discovery of the "God particle".
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Michael Dukakis
Michael Dukakis, former Massachusetts governor and 1988 Democratic presidential candidate, talks about his campaign then and the campaign now. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on two landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions this week, and White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett's comments that President Obama has "genuine love" for Black people.
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Simon Critchley
New School philosophy professor Simon Critchley shares his beliefs about secularism and activism, as laid out in his new text, The Faith of the Faithless. Plus, Smiley and West reflect on this week's bipartisan vote in the U.S. Senate to cut food stamp funding, President Obama's recent shift on immigration, and the death of Rodney King.
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Ericka Huggins & Frank Luntz
Smiley West welcome former Black Panther Party leader Ericka Huggins, 40 years after her release from prison following the controversial New Haven trial. Plus, while West is away, Smiley is joined by pollster and Republican Party strategist Dr. Frank Luntz.
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Dave Eggers
McSweeney's publisher and author Dave Eggers talks about his new novel, A Hologram for the King, as well as his ongoing projects like the oral history organization Voice of Witness. Plus, Smiley West examine the implications of this week's deadly drone attacks in Pakistan against the backdrop of President Obama's "kill list" exposed by the NY Times.
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Cassandra Wilson and Maude Maggart
Grammy-winning jazz musician Cassandra Wilson joins Smiley West from her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi to talk about her new album "Another Country" as well as her new performance space The Yellow Scarf. Plus, West reveals his love for cabaret music in conversation with singer Maude Maggart.
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Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Renowed Islamic scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr takes us inside the ancient religion and his home country of Iran. Plus, new attacks by conservatives on Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Black Liberation Theology, Newark mayor Cory Booker reverses his defense of campaign contributors Bain Capital, and a legal victory for victims of the NYPD's stop-and-frisk policy.
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Rance Allen & James Cone
Legendary gospel musician Rance Allen talks about his trailblazing career and new role as a bishop for the Church of God in Christ. Plus James Cone, West's former and future colleague at Union Theological Seminary, explores the link between suffering, resistance and the struggle against injustice.
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Paul Krugman
Nobel Prize-winning Princeton University economist Paul Krugman calls on Washington (and Brussels) to "End This Depression Now!" with a global stimulus package. Plus, inside Cornel West's trial in New York City, the People's Summit versus the NATO Summit, President Obama's flip flop on same-sex marriage, and a preview of Dr. West's cameo on the NBC come
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Bobby Seale
Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, recalls the day 45 years ago this week when he and several armed Panthers walked onto the floor of the California state legislature to protest an unequal gun bill. Plus, Smiley West present highlights from the last tour stop in Oakland, CA with questions moderated by KALW's Rose Aguilar.
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May Day Special with Richard Wolff
We're celebrating May Day with Socialist economist Richard Wolff. Plus, the very best of our conversations with America's labor leaders including Richard Trumka, Randi Weingarten, Leo Gerard, RoseAnn DeMoro, Mahlon Mitchell and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich.
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Alan & Marilyn Bergman and Barbra Streisand
Smiley West celebrate Barbra Streisand's birthday this week with Academy Award-winning songwriters Alan Marilyn Bergman including a surprise visit from the legendary singer! Plus, they head to Akron, Ohio and Duluth, Minnesota to get updates from people they met during last summer's Poverty Tour.
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Phil Donahue
Legendary talk show host Phil Donahue comes out of retirement for a conversation with Smiley West about their new book, "The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto".
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Nanci Griffith
Singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith talks about her new album Intersections including an anthem for the Occupy movement.
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Congressman Steve Cohen
Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen explains how his city maintained the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 44 years after he was shot and killed. Plus, Smiley West reflect on the hate crimes of Trayvon Martin Shaima al Awadi, Obamacare's case in the U.S. Supreme Court, and West's role in the federal lawsuit against the NDAA.
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Secretary Arne Duncan & Pasi Sahlberg
With Tavis off this week, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan joins West in the Hot Stuff segment. Plus, Pasi Sahlberg from Finland's Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation explains why his country's education system is considered the best in the world, and West reflects on the murder of Trayvon Martin.
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Sin?ad O'Connor
From across the pond, Irish singer-songwriter Sinad O'Connor helps Smiley West celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Plus, Smiley West defend the legacy of the late, great Derrick Bell, warn against the demonization of Ugandan guerrilla leader Joseph Kony, and respond to a high school student's question about martial law in America.
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Leo Gerard & Randi Weingarten
Leo Gerard, president of the United Steel Workers, explains why he's a co-signer of the 99% Spring. Plus, Smiley guest co-host Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, preview "Made Visible: Women, Children Poverty in America", and reflect on the life and legacy of New Jersey Congressman Donald Payne.
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Dan Aykroyd, Arun Gandhi, & Glenn Loury
Arun Gandhi reflects on his grandfather's life and legacy and actor Dan Aykroyd remembers John Belushi who died 30 years ago this week. Plus, Smiley guest co-host Glenn Loury discuss the NYPD spying scandal, the Democratic Party's loss of young progressive voters, and Karl Rove's recent article "How to Beat Obama."
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Margaret Ratner Kunstler
Civil rights attorney Margaret Ratner Kunstler talks about her fight to end the NYPD's stop-and-frisk policy. Plus, Michigan's plan to disenfranchise almost half of its Black voters, President Obama's corporate tax cut, and West's latest appearance in a New York courtroom.
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Terence Blanchard
Musician and composer Terence Blanchard talks about his score for "Red Tails" and collaboration with West on the 2009 album "Choices". Plus, Smiley West discuss President Obama's election-year budget, and remember singer Whitney Houston.
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Garrett Morris
Garrett Morris, the first Black cast member on "Saturday Night Live", reflects on the early days of the iconic program. Plus, Smiley West discuss the killing of an unarmed Bronx teenager by the NYPD, the killing of innocent children by U.S. drones, and President Obama's reversal on Super PACs.
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Frances Fox Piven
Courageous sociologist Frances Fox Piven reflects on her classic "A Strategy to End Poverty" and the subsequent death threats by followers of Glenn Beck. Plus, Smiley West reflect on Mitt Romney's comment about the "very poor", Occupy the Super Bowl, and Soul Train creator Don Cornelius.
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Mahlon Mitchell
Trailblazer Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, shares his take on the campaign to recall anti-union Governor Scott Walker. Plus, Smiley West reflect on their event at the University of Florida, West's speech at the Occupy the Courts rally, and musical legends Etta James and Johnny Otis.
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Susannah Heschel
Jewish scholar Susannah Heschel talks about her studies in Berlin and her father's relationship with Dr. King. Plus, listeners react to the "Remaking America" conversation, while Smiley West react to the choice of former Citigroup executive Jack Lew as President Obama's new chief of staff.
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Remaking America: Michael Moore, Suze Orman, Barbara...
Highlights from the Remaking America conversation between Smiley West, Michael Moore, Suze Orman, Barbara Ehrenreich, Majora Carter, Roger Clay, and Vicki B. Escarra as they lay out solutions for moving Americans from poverty to prosperity. The conversation was recorded live at George Washington University.
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Remaking America: Complete Conversation
The complete Remaking America conversation between Smiley West, Michael Moore, Suze Orman, Barbara Ehrenreich, Majora Carter, Roger Clay, and Vicki B. Escarra, recorded live at George Washington University. WARNING: This file is 70MB so if you get ripped off by your telecom on data, you may want to download this on wifi.
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Harry Belafonte & Jeffrey Sachs
Legendary activist and artist Harry Belafonte reflects on his life and career as laid out in his memoir My Song. Plus, economist Jeffrey Sachs helps Smiley West set the stage for "Remaking America".
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Best Conversations of 2011: Laurence Fishburne, Morgan...
Highlights from the very best conversations of 2011 including Morgan Freeman, Laurence Fishburne, Alice Walker, Phylicia Rashad, and Bill Maher. Plus, Smiley West reflect on the most under-reported stories of the year, courtesy of Project Censored.
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Sonny Rollins & Jerry Butler
Jerry "Iceman" Butler remembers the legendary Curtis Mayfield, who passed away 12 years ago this week. Plus, saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins reflects on his long career and Kennedy Center Honor.
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Stephen Sondheim
West goes one-on-one with legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Plus, Smiley West preview the Remaking America event on January 12th, the Occupy movement settles in for the long, cold winter, and a special guest in our Take 'Em to Task segment.
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Nikki Giovanni
Poet and professor Nikki Giovanni talks about Virginia Tech's deadly shooting almost five years ago, as well as her take on writer James Baldwin. Plus, the Occupy movement claimed a number of victories this week, and Mumia Abu-Jamal no longer faces the death penalty.
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Helen Thomas
Longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas reflects on the ten presidents she covered - from Kennedy to Obama. Plus, warehouse workers featured during The Poverty Tour fight back, Black Friday reflects badly on our society, Larry Summers takes on inequality, and President Obama revises his 2012 strategy.
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John Carlos
Highlights from West's conversation with Olympian John Carlos and co-author Dave Zirin about the new text "The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World", recorded live at New York University.
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Marsha Coleman-Adebayo
Federal whistleblower Marsha Coleman-Adebayo reveals her battle with the Environmental Protection Agency. Plus, Smiley West react to the purge of Occupy sites across the country, undocumented activists protest Alabama's new immigration law, and West explains his decision to leave his post at Princeton for a new role at Union Theological Seminary.
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Abner Mikva
Longtime public servant Abner Mikva reflects on his years as a congressman, federal judge, and confidant to President Barack Obama. Plus, guest co-host Antonio Gonzalez reports from PolicyLink's Equity Summit where Black and Brown activists are strategizing together, and revised U.S. census data finds a record-setting number of people living in poverty.
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Slavoj Zizek
Slovenian philosopher and culture critic Slavoj Zizek presents his global vision for the Occupy movement.
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Tariq Ali
Tariq Ali, journalist, historian, all-around Renaissance Man, reflects on the Occupy movement and the "untold history of America". Plus, West is arrested for protesting for the second week in a row, a national conference highlights FBI repression against peace activists, and Smiley shares some tales from President Obama's West Coast fund-raising trip.
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Bertha Lewis
ACORN's former Chief Organizer Bertha Lewis tells us the story of how her organization was demonized and destroyed by right-wing activists. Plus, Smiley West weigh the assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and West recounts his arrest and night in jail for protesting on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Gov. Brian Schweitzer
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer explains how he's able to pass progressive policies in his red state. Plus, Smiley West present highlights of their final Poverty Tour stop, a town hall event in Los Angeles.
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Ron Daniels
Social and political activist Dr. Ron Daniels lays out his strategy for real progressives in 2012 and beyond. Plus, Smiley West respond to the Obama 2012 supporters who protested outside our L.A. studio.
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Medea Benjamin
CODEPINK activist Medea Benjamin previews the October 6th occupation of Washington DC, ten years after the invasion of Afghanistan. Plus, remembering Wangari Maathai, West's occupation of Wall Street, President Obama's controversial comments and the execution of Troy Davis.
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Bob Herbert
Former NY Times columnist Bob Herbert reports from the frontlines of the Great Recession. Plus, Smiley West unpack President Obama's tax plan for the super rich and the efforts by hundreds of activists to occupy Wall Street this week.
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Interdependence Day
Howard Dean, Ben Barber, Carol Gilligan and others celebrate Interdependence Day with Smiley and West recorded live at Lincoln Center.
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Dr. Vincent Harding
Ten years after 9/11, Vincent Harding, a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, reflects on one of his lesser-known speeches, "The World House". Plus, Smiley West discuss President Obama's much-anticipated jobs speech, the GOP debate and a casualty of poverty, 24-year-old Kyle Willis.
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Emanuel Cleaver and RoseAnn DeMoro
RoseAnn DeMoro, head of National Nurses United, has a cure for our ailing economy, just in time for Labor Day. Plus, a first-grade teacher is suspended after posting "I'm a warden of future criminals" on her Facebook page, and Congressional Black Caucus chairman Emanuel Cleaver recaps his group's jobs tour.
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Doug Jones
After prosecuting domestic terrorism in Birmingham Alabama, courageous attorney Doug Jones is now fighting another injustice. Plus, Smiley West explore whether the presence of the new King Memorial could set a new tone in Washington and, as promised, present their first weekly segment on poverty with voices from our listeners who are struggling.
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The Poverty Tour: Extended Edition
Get on the bus for this web-exclusive extended version of Smiley West's special The Poverty Tour: A Call to Conscience
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Rev. Gardner C. Taylor & The Poverty Tour
Smiley West speak with legendary 93 year-old preacher Rev. Gardner C. Taylor about his new memoir Faith in the Fire. Plus, highlights from The Poverty Tour: A Call to Conscience.
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Michael Krasny & Lewis Baldwin
America's highest-rated local public radio host Michael Krasny talks about his spiritual envy and quest as an agnostic. Plus, professor Lewis Baldwin explores the prayer life of Martin Luther King.
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Lupe Fiasco & George Clinton
Highlights from West's exclusive conversation with controversial musician Lupe Fiasco, recorded live at the Tavis Smiley Foundation's Youth 2 Leaders conference. Plus, funkmaster George Clinton reflects on his long career.
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Leah Ward Sears
Judicial trailblazer Leah Ward Sears is on President Obama's short list for the U.S. Supreme Court after making history in Georgia. Plus, Smiley West announce "THE POVERTY TOUR: A Call to Conscience", a 7-day, 14-city bus sojourn in search of the truth about America's poor and working people.
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Bill Maher
West turns the tables on controversial comedian Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time. Plus, author Alice Walker gives an exclusive account of her sabotaged flotilla mission to Gaza.
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Neil DeGrasse Tyson
"Smart sexy" astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson reflects on the end of the Space Shuttle era. Plus, the sabotaged flotilla mission to Gaza, a new study on the sentencing disparity for dark-skinned women, and the new populist push for taxing the super rich and corporations.
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Paul Mooney
Comic genius Paul Mooney talks about his work with Richard Pryor and his role as Negrodamus. Plus, new Census numbers confirm America is becoming a nation of minorities, U.S. corporations like GE, Dow and Exxon Mobil invaded Egypt this week in the name of boosting profits, and NBA star Ron Artest wants to legally change his name to Metta World Peace.
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Phylicia Rashad
Voted "America's favorite TV mom", actress Phylicia Rashad is now getting praise for her new role as a director. Plus, Smiley and guest co-host Connie Rice discuss President Obama's new Afghanistan plan, the 2012 election, and the demands for Justice Clarence Thomas to resign.
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Alice Walker
Legendary writer Alice Walker talks about her new prose text, The Chicken Chronicles, and her new poetry book, Hard Times Require Furious Dancing. Plus, inside NYC's charter school showdown, the hypocrisy of America's African diplomacy, and more injustice in Florida as three people are arrested for feeding the homeless.
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On the Road: China
Smiley West go inside the growing superpower of China with New York Times Shanghai bureau chief David Barboza and US-born media mogul Andrew Ballen.
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Grace Lee Boggs
95 year-old activist Grace Lee Boggs looks ahead to the next 95 years in her new text The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century. Plus, Smiley West preview their trip to China by assessing their preconceived notions of the growing superpower.
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Adrienne Maree Brown
Soulful activist Adrienne Maree Brown talks about her move to Detroit, ground zero in the struggle for social justice. Plus, West sets the record straight regarding his comments about President Obama, and Father Michael Pfleger returns to his pulpit at St. Sabina's parish in Chicago after his suspension for comments on Smiley West was lifted.
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Barbara Ehrenreich
Investigative author Barbara Ehrenreich has an update on her eye-opening book Nickel and Dimed, released 10 years ago this month.
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David Dinkins
Former New York Mayor David Dinkins looks back at his hard-fought campaigns and shares his take on current Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Plus, the feds investigate Newark's police department, Illinois' governor rejects a controversial immigration policy and Florida's legislature bans "droopy drawers" in its public schools.
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Dick Gregory
Groundbreaking comedian Dick Gregory offers his take on the assassination of Osama bin Laden. Plus, Smiley West ask whether it was worth the trillions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives.
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Bill Withers
Legendary musician Bill Withers talks about his long career and childhood in rural West Virginia. Plus, Smiley gets heat for his prediction of an ugly, nasty, racist 2012 election and the inside story of Father Michael Pfleger's suspension by his boss, Cardinal George, for his comments on Smiley West.
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Isabel Wilkerson
Isabel Wilkerson takes us deep inside the Great Migration with her best-selling book The Warmth of Other Suns. Plus, a homeless mother is arrested for stealing her child's education and West has advice on civil disobedience.
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Glenn Loury
Brown University economics professor Glenn Loury makes the links between mass incarceration and the struggle for equality. Plus, West goes behind the scenes of his heated debate with Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC this week.
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Father Michael Pfleger
Father Michael Pfleger talks about 30 years as head of Chicago's Faith Community of St. Sabina's. Plus, President Obama reaches out to Black voter amidst rising Black unemployment and remembering author Manning Marable.
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Richard Trumka
AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka previews the National Day of Solidarity on April 4. Plus, as President Obama's approval rating hits an all-time low, Smiley West dig deep into the current state of our democracy.
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Congressman Keith Ellison
Trailblazing Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison. Plus the NPR funding fight, taxing the super rich, Detroit's dismal census numbers and a shout-out to 79-year-old cancer survivor Barbara Hillary for making history.
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PROGRAM INFORMATION
- Los Angeles, CA
- Politics, Interviews, Public Radio
- PRI
- English
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