Tavis Smiley is a liberal political commentator, talk show host, entrepreneur, author, philanthropist and advocate, born on 13 September 1964, in Gulfport, Mississippi USA. He is best known for his bold stand and energetic talks on politics and race. He is also an author, having written books such as ‘What I Know For Sure: My Story of growing Up in America’ and ‘How to Make Black America Better: Leading Americans Speak Out’.
How rich is Tavis Smiley? According to sources, Smiley is estimated to have a net worth of $10 million. He has acquired most of this wealth from his career as a talk show host as well as a political commentator. Currently, he hosts ‘The Travis Smiley Show’ on Public Radio International and the late night TV show ‘Tavis Smiley’ on PBS’.
Tavis Smiley Net Worth $10 Million
Tavis Smiley is the son of a single mother Joyce Marie Roberts, who married a non-commissioned officer in the US Air Force, Emory Garnell Smiley. Tavis did not learnt about his biological father until years later. Smiley’s family moved to Bunker Hill, Indiana. They had seven children, including four of Joyce’s sister was murdered.
Tavis first became interested in politics at 13, after attending Senator Birch Bayh’s fundraiser. He studied at Maconaquah High School, which he described as “98% white”, and was a member of the debate team and the student council. In 1982, he joined Indiana University Bloomington with only a small suitcase and $50 since his parents refused to fill all the financial aid papers, but his entry fascilitated by administrators allowed him to enroll as a full-time student. During his second year, he became a member of the student senate, dormitory’s business manager, and the director of all minority affairs. Following the death of his friend Denver Smith at the hands of Indiana police officers, Tavis helped in leading protests, believing the killing was not justified, which saw him gain recognition, and he was offered an internship at Tomilea Allison’s office, the Bloomington’s mayor at that time.
Tavis then acquired an internship in LA Mayor Tom Bradley’s office,.serving there until 1990. In 1991, he campaigned for the LA City Council without success. He then became a radio commentator on KGFJ radio, broadcasting a segments called ‘The Smiley Report.’ He also co-hosted a talk show, on which he strongly aired his views on politics and especially on the impact institutional racism had on black youth in the city.
In 1996, Tavis became a main commentators on the ‘Tom Joyner Morning Show, on radio’, and starting annual town hall meetings – ‘The State of the Black Union’. He began building a reputation, appearing in many TV and radio political discussions as well as producing and hosting the ‘BET Show” until 2001. Tavis moved to National Public Radio, where he hosted ‘The Tavis Smiley Show’ until December 2004, and then launched his version of the show in April 2005 on Public Radio International, which ended in 2013. All these activities assisted the growth of his net worth.
Meantime, in March 2006, Tavis partnered Third World Press in publishing a collection of journals and essays by black professionals and scholars known as ‘The Covenant with Black America’.
In July 2013, he joined with BlogTalkRadio, a global social broadcasting network, in launching the ‘Smart Talk.Online’.
Smiley Tavis has acknowledged many times – in 1994, he was named one of the 50 most promising leaders by Time. He won NAACP Image Award for his talk and information series on ‘Tavis Smiley Show’ in 1997-1999. In 2005, he donated money to Texas Southern University, and the department of communication was named after him temporarily. In 2007, he moderated live forums for presidential candidates for both Democrats and Republicans. In December 2008, he was given the Du Bois Medal by a research institute based in Harvard University. In 2014, he was one of the people honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, To date, he has under his belt 16 honorary doctorates.
Although many sources have reported on Tavis’ net worth, most do not disclose much about his relationships, and Tavis talks little about his private life. He lives in Los Angeles and isn’t married. In the past, he has been quoted saying that he has never been married and doesn’t drink.
