known for his successful career in in television, radio, and print. Today, he has his own show called the
Tavis Smiley Show, which has been functioning since 2000. Tavis Smiley has also written numerous
books. This leads up to his successful life.
Tavis Smiley was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, on September 13, 1964. Smiley 's mother, Joyce
Marie Roberts, was single when she had him. Later on, Tavis gained a step-father named Emory
Garnell Smiley. This man was a non-commissioned Officer in The United States Air Force. Tavis
Smiley 's real father 's identity was not discovered until a few years later. The Smiley …show more content…
While attending, he joined and
participated in student government and the debate team. After graduating from High School, Tavis
Smiley left Bunker Hill, Indiana to attend the Indiana University at Bloomington, Indiana. There, he
studied Public Affairs. Even in college, Smiley stayed within the student government and joined a club
called the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
After leaving college in 1988, Tavis left to work for Tom Bradley, who was the First African
American Mayor of Los Angeles, through 1990. Smiley had left the university without full credits for
graduation, but finished his degree several years later, in 2003. Smiley had an unsuccessful campaign
in running for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council in 1991. Afterward, He began working as a radio
commentator for a radio station in L.A. During this job, he broadcast short, daily segments about issues
in the African American Community. Later on, he received a job as a political radio commentator for
the Tom Joyner Morning Show. He held this position until 2008. As Smiley 's career began to take a
turn for the best, he soon landed a radio and television host job. He hosted BET Tonight with