Explore every episode of the podcast Tavis Smiley

Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, dancer, and director Jasmine Guy talks about the A Different World reboot streaming today on Netflix and her distinguished career.

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Politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion Erika D. Smith talks about the latest polling in the heated L.A. mayor’s race, why Congress should follow California’s lead on AI laws, and more.

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Civil rights attorney and activist Connie Rice shares her thoughts on conservative federal Judge Michael Luttig’s view that this upcoming midterm election is the “final battle for America’s democracy.”

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Danielle Moodie, CEO and founder of DAM Media Strategies and host of The Danielle Moodie Show on YouTube, gives her analysis of trending political topics.

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Retired U.N. diplomat, professor, and the first U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan under the Obama administration, Susan Page shares her thoughts on the relationship between the U.S. and the global community, the latest on the Sudan humanitarian crisis, and more.

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Dr. Cornel West, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary, celebrates John Coltrane’s 100th birthday in this special first-hour, Wednesday edition of Smiley & West.    

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Civil rights attorney Ben Crump talked to Tavis with a reaction to the verdict of the Nolan Wells case. 

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Actress, comedian, and activist Tisha Campbell talks about her personal journey with autism and her new book, The A Word: A Mother’s Journey Through Autism and Love, as she advocates for awareness and inclusion for families navigating similar challenges.

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Senior reporter and writer of The False Flag newsletter for The Bulwark and author of Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America, Will Sommer talks about Trump’s press ban, why the latest right-wing revolt against Markwayne Mullin is the wildest yet, and more.

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Host of the Bad Faith podcast and former National Press Secretary for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, Briahna Joy Gray gives her analysis of trending political topics.

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Howard Dean’s presidential campaign manager, veteran Democratic political strategist, and online grassroots pioneer Joe Trippi shares his thoughts on the possibility of a Blue wave in November and whether Democrats can meet the moment.

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Retired conservative federal judge J. Michael Luttig explains why he believes we are in the final battle for America’s democracy as the U.S. “sleepwalks” toward another January 6th.

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Scholar, distinguished professor, author, leading public intellectual, and special contributor Dr. Cornel West shares his thoughts about race, politics, social justice, and more.

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Social justice leader, host of the monthly digital series Freedom Table, and author of From Presence to Power: How to Take On the Fights That Matter – and Win, Rashad Robinson gives his analysis of trending political topics.

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Former U.S. Congressman and former director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Melvin “Mel” Watt talks about his family’s unbroken 200-year journey from an enslaved ancestor captured in West Africa to the halls of American power in his new book, The Sixth Generation: The Autobiography of Melvin Watt

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Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium CEO Chanceé Lundy and Co-Founder LaTosha Brown discuss tackling issues affecting Black women and girls as they embark on a nine-city Joy and Justice Tour across the South, addressing violence, unemployment, maternal and holistic health, and attacks on Black women’s political leadership.

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Michigan State Senator Sarah Anthony shares her thoughts about the impact of Black voters in the closely watched Michigan midterm and the role of Black lawmakers in this political moment.

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Scholar, distinguished professor, author, leading public intellectual, and special contributor Dr. Cornel West shares his thoughts about politics, social justice, history, and more.

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Attorney, political commentator, and social media influencer A.B. Burns-Tucker talks about trending political topics and her viral poll worker campaign.

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Bill O’Reilly, conservative political journalist, bestselling author, and host of No Spin News, talks about his new book Confronting America: What Has To Change, released September 15, as he offers a deeply personal account of America’s history, informed by first-hand encounters with some of the world’s most consequential leaders.

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U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) talks about her letter, with 59 of her colleagues, to the DOJ and FBI to demand a thorough, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the numerous incidents of Black people found hanging across the country. 

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Grammy Award-winning contemporary jazz bassist Ben Williams joins Tavis in studio to discuss his new single 'Ballet (for the Elephant in the Room) about America at 250, his world tour and his celebrated career. 

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We mark the 63rd anniversary of the bombing in Birmingham at the 16th Street Baptist Church, on this day in 1963, with the very best of my conversations with Doug Jones, Alabama's Democratic nominee for Governor, and Sarah Collins Rudolph, the only survivor of the horrible tragedy.

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Scholar, anthropologist and president-in-residence and co-chairperson of the capital campaign for UNCF, Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole shares her thoughts about the state of HBCUs, the fate of Black history at the Smithsonian and her distinguished career. 

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Dr. James Peterson, writer, educator, and host of “Evening WURDS” on WURD (900AM and 96.1FM) in Philadelphia, gives his analysis about trending political topics. 

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Soul musician, singer, and actor Martin Luther McCoy joins Tavis in studio to discuss his latest album, Welcome Back Love, following a 14-year hiatus, and why he believes in music’s ability to heal, challenge, and reconnect.

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As we commemorate 25 years since the attacks on 9/11, Penn State International Relations professor Errol Henderson reflects on those chickens coming home to roost and why Malcolm X's frame still tells the tale of America's misadventures around the world.

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Progressive activist, syndicated columnist, and bestselling author Jim Hightower talks about the moral poverty of the rich and powerful and other economic justice issues affecting the American people under the current administration.

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President of ASALH (Association for the Study of African American Life and History), award-winning talk show host, and racial justice scholar Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead gives her analysis of the CBC convention and other trending political topics.

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Two-time NAACP Image Award nominee, DEI educator, and social media political influencer George Lee Jr., aka “The Conscious Lee,” shares his thoughts on Black political independence, the state of diversity in law, AI, and more. 

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Mayor of Oakland, California, and former U.S. congresswoman Barbara Lee talks about her historic speech opposing military action in response to 9/11 and her re-election in the era of Trump.

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Scholar, distinguished professor, author, leading public intellectual, and special contributor Dr. Cornel West shares his thoughts on politics, social justice, history, and more.

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Co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect Robert Kuttner returns to discuss the legacy of 9/11 and other trending political topics.

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Author, scholar, and former president of TransAfrica Forum Bill Fletcher Jr. gives his insights on the state of America and its standing in the world 25 years after 9/11.

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Host of the Independent Americans podcast and founder of Independent Veterans of America and Righteous Media, Inc. Paul Rieckhoff reflects on the 25 years since 9/11 and how the attacks impacted his decision to become a veteran activist.

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Scholar, distinguished professor, author, leading public intellectual, and special contributor Dr. Cornel West opines on 9/11, race, politics, and more.

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National civil rights attorney Ben Crump gives an update on the Nolan Wells and Karmelo Anthony cases and more.

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Award-winning investigative journalist, bestselling author, contributing editor, and podcast host for Spy Talk Michael Isikoff shares his analysis of trending political topics.

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Former senior editor and senior writer for Ebony magazine, Margena A. Christian opens up the pages of music history with her new book, It’s No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown’s Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy, about the producer and songwriter who helped save Stevie Wonder’s career. 

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Project manager at Marist Poll and election analysis fellow at VoteHub, Ellis Bates breaks down the “post-Callais effect” and the surge in Black voter turnout across Southern primaries following the pivotal Supreme Court decision.

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Christopher Tounsel, history professor at the University of Washington and author of "Chosen Peoples: Christianity and Political Imagination in South Sudan", has an update on the crisis in Sudan where wannabe superpowers are competing to exploit and extract.

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Ethiopian American professor of political science and theorist at the University of Chicago, Adom Getachewtalks about the 65th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement, its origins, and the global resistance against colonization in the pursuit of Black sovereignty.

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Professor, founding chair of the Department of African American Studies at UCLA, and author of Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation, Marcus Anthony Hunter gives his analysis of trending political topics.

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Democratic Mayor Michael Butler of Orangeburg, South Carolina, shares his thoughts on the results from the special election for the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s seat, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s visit to his city and how Orangeburg is preparing for the upcoming elections this year and next year.

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President of the National Women’s Political Caucus Deidre Malone speaks on the enduring legacy of its co-founder Gloria Steinem, the future of Black women’s political leadership, and more.

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Former U.S. Transportation Secretary and Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg goes in-depth about his appeal to listen to Black voters, gives an update on his endorsements, and discusses how Democrats can capitalize on the growing momentum for democratic change.

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Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and Director of The Center for Urban Journalism at Morgan State University Leonard Pitts Jr. gives his analysis of trending political topics.

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Elegance Bratton, writer, photographer and director of the new film By Any Means starring Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, joins Tavis in studio to discuss this story of a morally ambiguous partnership between a Black FBI agent and a white mobster during the turbulent civil rights era of 1960s Mississippi.

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Nicole Austin-Hillery, president and CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, celebrates 50 years of the foundation's work to advance Black leadership and inform public policy, while giving us a sneak peek of their 55th Annual Legislative Conference kicking off September 16th in D.C.

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Shundra Harris, Chair-Elect of the Board of Directors for the American Society of Interior Designers and owner of Shundra Harris Interiors, shares her story about her rise as a design industry leader and how she plans to diversify the space.

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