Doing What's Right: How to Fight for What You Believe--And Make a Difference - Hardcover

Smiley, Tavis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385499302 ISBN 13: 9780385499309

Publisher: Doubleday, 2000

Synopsis

Black Entertainment Television (BET) talk show host Tavis Smiley, in an impassioned call to arms, sets forth the tools we can use to stand up for what we believe in and help transform our communities, our lives, and our world.

Tavis Smiley isn't alone in pointing out that our neighborhoods are unsafe, our communities are unraveling, and our most basic values--civility, a sense of justice, integrity, and responsibility--are under attack, from the Oval Office to the corner office. But we don't have to put up with a world gone awry, claims Smiley. We don't need to play the blame game. We are neither helpless nor victims.

In Doing What's Right, Smiley shows how each and every one of us can take up arms against complacency and fight for the causes in which we believe. We don't have to accept things as they are. By choosing the battles that matter most to us, and organizing a plan to bring about the changes we feel are necessary, we can make a difference--in fact we can transform the world around us.

Smiley knows whereof he speaks--it was his lifelong determination to make a difference that helped shape Smiley's career, first as a member of former L.A. mayor Tom Bradley's staff, helping to fight for the rights of residents in South Central, and later in radio and television. He has long been known as a powerful advocate of social and political issues. Through his nightly television show and in his radio commentaries, he has helped to galvanize public opinion and initiate national grassroots campaigns on everything from corporate responsibility to voter turnout.

For everyone who wants to be a voice for change, Doing What's Right is a must-read.

Visit the author's website at www.tavistalks.com or www.blackvoices.com.
In DOING WHAT'S RIGHT, Smiley shows how each and every one of us can take up arms against complacency and fight for the causes in which we believe. We don't have to accept things as they are. By choosing the battles that matter most to us, and organizing a plan to bring about the changes we feel are necessary, we can make a difference--in fact we can transform the world around us. Smiley knows whereof he speaks--it was his lifelong determination to make a difference that helped launch his career in radio and television. And through his advocacy of issues on his nightly television show and in his radio commentaries, Smiley persuaded Christie's auction house to change its policies on selling slave artifacts, and encouraged President Clinton to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks.

For everyone who wants to be a voice for change, DOING WHAT'S RIGHT is a must-read. -->

About this title

Review

This collection of essays from popular syndicated radio and BET talk-show host Tavis Smiley hinges on his philosophy of self-improvement through community involvement. Smiley tackles racism with a quick wit, relying on the rich historical legacy of African American achievement to make his points while avoiding social-science stereotypes. At its core, Doing What's Right is a call to action. After briefly outlining some of the societal problems he sees, Smiley lists specific ways to begin solving them on both a local and national level. Railing against cynicism, he emphasizes the power of the individual to make a difference, challenging readers to fight for causes they believe in. Interjecting his own biography throughout the book, Smiley recounts his origins as a community advocate at the age of 13 and the tragedy that led him to devote himself to his community. Now, with an audience of millions, Smiley's message is being heard on a grand scale. Using hooks such as seven "land mines of Democracy," five reasons "why people shy away from advocates," and a slew of "Tavis Tips," he succeeds in bridging practical advice and an inspirational message. Equal parts Norman Vincent Peale and Dear Abby, Smiley is proof that the seeds of human self-esteem always outgrow the weeds of self-doubt. --Eugene Holley Jr.

From the Back Cover

"A strong and powerful voice for a new generation."
--Susan Estrich

"Tavis...can say more intelligent things in three minutes than most people can say in thirty."
--Tom Joyner

About this edition

• Publisher: Doubleday
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0385499302
• ISBN 13: 9780385499309
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160