Tavis Smiley, Broadcaster/Political Commentator, Author, Philanthropist, to Speak at Rutgers' 241st Commencement; Estimated 11,000 academic degrees to be conferred May 16
April 13, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EDITORS NOTE: ATTENTION EDUCATION, NEWS EDITORS
TAVIS SMILEY, BROADCASTER/POLITICAL COMMENTATOR,
AUTHOR, PHILANTHROPIST, TO SPEAK AT RUTGERS 241ST COMMENCEMENT
Estimated 11,000 academic degrees to be conferred May 16
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New Brunswick, N.J. Broadcaster and political commentator Tavis Smiley, a best-selling author and noted philanthropist, will address graduates and their guests, faculty, administrators and staff at the 241st universitywide commencement at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, on May 16, Rutgers Board of Governors announced today.
President Richard L. McCormick will confer an estimated 11,000 academic degrees during the 1:30 p.m. ceremony on historic Voorhees Mall, the College Avenue Campus in New Brunswick.
Smiley, the first American to concurrently host signature talk shows on both public television and public radio, also will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Saluted among the most promising young leaders in America by Time, and hailed by Newsweek as one of the 20 people changing how Americans get their news, Smiley is a strong voice for social change. During his senior year at Indiana University, Smiley interned for Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. He went on to political commentary, first with a 60-second radio newscast called The Smiley Report, and later as an analyst for such national news outlets as CNN and for the widely syndicated black-oriented radio program, The Tom Joyner Morning Show.
He was executive producer and host of the current affairs program, BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley, on Black Entertainment Television and became the first African-American to host his own talk show for National Public Radio. That success was followed by the launch of his PBS television program, Tavis Smiley, on PBS. Smiley developed and hosts, The State of the Black Union, C-SPANs series of town hall meetings about issues affecting the African-American community.
Smiley has authored or edited several books on economic and social empowerment, including the Covenant with Black America, a series of essays by black scholars, activists and political figures that became a political phenomenon and reached No. 1 on The New York Times Best-Seller List without mainstream exposure. In 1988, Smiley founded a communications corporation dedicated to human rights and empowerment issues. His self-named foundation works to enlighten, encourage and empower African-American youth through the development of leadership skills.
Smileys philanthropic work has resulted in the establishment of schools for communications and professional media studies at Texas Southern University, ongoing scholarships to African-American high school and college students, and other charitable contributions.
Smiley has received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including one from Indiana University. He is single and lives in Los Angeles.
See also: Honorary degree recipients
Contact: Steve Manas
732-932-7084, Ext. 612
E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu