© 2025 All Rights reserved WUSF
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Thanks to you, WUSF is here — delivering fact-based news and stories that reflect our community.⁠ Your support powers everything we do.

Smiley Holds Obama — And You — Accountable

Tavis Smiley has authored several best-selling books, including <em>The Covenant.</em>
David Livingston
/
Getty Images
Tavis Smiley has authored several best-selling books, including The Covenant.

In April 2008, Tavis Smiley took some heat for comments he made on the Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Specifically, Smiley asked African Americans to eye then-candidate Barack Obama critically. Smiley, a regular on the Joyner show for nearly 12 years, later severed ties with the program.

In his new book, Accountable, he asks all Americans to hold officials responsible for their actions. He recommends specific questions for readers to ask or apply to their leaders and themselves in a variety of areas, including health care, education and the economy.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tags
Our daily newsletter, delivered first thing weekdays, keeps you connected to your community with news, culture, national NPR headlines, and more.