Najee Ali & Tavis Smiley
*Brother Tavis, there are many Blacks across the nation (myself included) who are appreciative of the work and contributions you have made in your journalistic career. For many years now, you have served Black people faithfully with tremendous success. Black America is a better place because of your works and no one can take that away from you. I also want to humbly give you some advice if I may. Your recent tirade against Morris W. O’Kelly a/k/a “MO ‘Kelly,” a fellow radio commentator and colleague of yours is simply the last straw for me and a growing number of African-Americans.
ALSO ON EURweb: Smiley Hits Mo’Kelly with ‘Cease and Desist Notice for ‘Talking Bad About Him’
The fact that you had your attorneys from Browning & Browning law offices send him a “cease and desist” letter demanding that he stop talking and writing bad about you is ridiculous. At this point, you are not hurting Black America your hurting your brand and yourself. The confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement that Mr. Kelley signed with you when he worked as a producer for you cannot stop him from making public comments on your current advocacy. It’s time that you cease and desist with this foolishness! Tavis the White establishment has been propping you up for years. Your television show that is broadcast nationally on PBS costs about $8 million per year to produce. PBS officials in Washington kick in $1 million annually, but you have to raise the rest on your own by going hat in hand to corporate sponsors such as Wal-Mart. Therefore, Wal-Mart plays a major role in sustaining your popularity. Yet you claim you care so much for those who are in poverty.
If you really wanted to address poverty shouldn’t you have involved Wal -Mart in the conversation to hold them accountable as well? This is very hypocritical of you. Wal-Mart continues to refuse to pay a living wage or provide affordable health care to its employees. Wal Mart is a billion dollar corporation. They should be able to offer a better medical package for their associates and a living wage. Tavis you continue to be a significant pawn for corporate interests, to the detriment of the black community. Corporations that continually oppress the Black working class and other Americans. While at the same time trying to stop Mr. Kelly’s freedom of speech.
Mr. Kelly was correct in his analysis when he stated that “you have no plan, no program, no would-be law that you’re pushing to help end poverty. That you’re just trying to trick people into believing that you have a process when you don’t. Mr. Kelly is right, and has the right to say so.”
Tavis, Tom Joyner allowed you to come on his nationally syndicated morning show where you were highly critical of people on a regular basis and became wealthy by doing so. You especially seemed to be up to the task in trying to hold President Obama accountable with what many felt were your unwarranted personal attacks. Yet when Mr. Kelly attempts to hold you accountable as well you run crying trying to lawyer up. I live in Los Angeles and when the community has a problem or crisis they don’t turn to you because you’re not trying to hold anyone accountable here where you live and work at. We all know your all talk no action. It’s time for you to put your big boy pants on and cease and desist in attempting to silence others who have a right to freedom of speech as well.
Najee Ali
Director of Project Islamic HOPE and Author of the critically acclaimed book “Raising Hell”
www.Najeeali.com
In Related News: Mo’Kelly to Appear on Joyner Show Tuesday Morning
In related news, Tuesday morning, Mo’Kelly will appear the Tom Joyner Morning Show and will be interviewed by TJMS correspondent Roland Martin regarding the “disagreement” between he and former employer Tavis Smiley.
TO MY DISCONTENT MAYBE AFTER ALL HIS YEARS
DOING THE FORUM FOR BLACK AMERICA CAUSED
SOME SORT OF BURN OUT FOR MR SMILEY
ISSUE OF CONCERN FOR BLACK AMERICA ARE OVERWHELMING
TO SAY THE LEAST OF BEING NEGLECTED AND IGNORED.
EVEN WITH THE HOPES OF KEEPING “LIKE IT IS ALIVE”.
I’VE OFTEN WATCHED THE SHOW WITH OVERWHELMING SADNESS
OF SOME OUR THE TREATMENT OF BLACK AMERICA. I OFTEN WONDERED HOW MR NOBLE WAS ABLE TO RETURN WEEK AFTER WEEK. I COULD TURN OFF THE SHOW TO DECOMPRESSED YET DEALING WITH THE SORROW AND TRAVAILS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS DEPRESSING AND SAD.
I SAY THIS TO SAY MAYBE MR TAVIS NEEDS TO DECOMPRESS TAKE A BREAK,BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE BOARDER LINE RAGE,MAYBE A REST IS DUE TO ALL HIS PREVIOUS WORK ON BEHALF OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
Anonymous, why u got your high beams on? cant nobody else see when u come round the corner.
lol Didn’t you Najee Ali do a hit piece not too long ago on Tavis? How then is this your “last straw” with him? lol This is not a “last straw,” it’s a continuation. It’s more fodder for you and low-IQ folks like Tom Joyner to pounce yet again. You will continue to LIE and say Tavis has thrown “unwarranted personal attacks” (yet NEVER naming anything PERSONAL he’s said) and you will pat yourself on the back for “straightening out that hatin brotha Tavis” as if you are superior to him in some way. Whatevs
Thank YOU! And who in the hell is Mr. Kelly? Robert Kelly?
Right on point Najee – although I thing you were a little too generous in that first paragraph. I don’t see anything he’s done for the Black community, and I don’t see how we’re doing any better as a result of anything he’s ever done.
But then, you’re a gentleman. I’m not.