Steve Harvey show recap referring to the West/Tavis 16 city Poverty Bus Tour:
The host (Steve Harvey), added his two cents after reading an email from a listener who said that he felt West and Smiley were conducting nothing but a “hustle” with their tour.
“I was a huge fan of Cornel West,” he said. “[But] Tavis, I seen him coming a mile away. His anger started when he had a town hall meeting, President Obama couldn’t come because of the campaign trail and he sent Mrs. Obama. He has held that grudge every since.”
Harvey then performed a skit claiming he was the president of UTLO.org (which stands out for “Uncle Tom Look Out”) and that he spotted an “uncle tom” driving a bus.
Whoa!
I have issues with both Tavis Smiley and Cornel West. I have been a very strong critic of Tavis for his very personal and relentless attacks on President Obama. Candidate Obama failed to kiss the King's (Tavis) golden ring, hence Tavis - feeling scorned - is on a personal crusade against the President.
Obama is not above criticism, however the attacks by West/Tavis do not factor in the legislative reality of our country.
Obama is straddled with the most racist (think Tea Baggers) and obstructionist Congress corporate America could buy. No legislation labeled Black Agenda will pass through this Congress.
In this atmosphere, where we are in the midst of wolves, it will be wise to follow a biblical proverb:
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16, KJV).
But to call them Uncle Toms is unfair. It is unnecessarily divisive and the ultimate kiss of death in the black community.
Both West and Tavis have a body of work in our community. We may passionately disagree with them, we may rigorously debate them; but, we should not marginalize the pair by calling them traitors.
In saying that, I still am very suspect on the motives off Tavis - especially after he cries about being frozen out by President Obama:
“Prior to his being elected, he came on my radio programs and TV programs with regularity,” Smiley said. “Once he got elected and my critique of him -- about holding him accountable to various things didn’t sit so well with him or the people around him -- he has not, at this point, come on my TV or radio programs one time since he’s been in this White House.”
Smiley said that Obama, whom he's known for years, "is the first president in my professional career that hasn't invited me to the White House."
Uncle Tom? No, more like a jilted lover...
I am not going to let this latest calamity of events, overshadow what these two giants of civil rights have done in the past. They appear to have forgotten that Obama is not a civil rights activist. He is the President of the United States. Most of the problems we have in the black community can be addressed on a local level. We need more Mayors like Corey Booker of Newark and Michael Nutter of Philadelphia. Obama is already losing weight again from fighting constantly with the Tea Party people. All of our leaders should be helping him fight his foes, instead of kicking him after they have landed a punch. But again, they still have stellar records to stand on. This will pass. ..
ReplyDeleteSteve Harvey may have gone over the top with the Uncle Tom remark, but he also questioned if the Tea Party or FoxNews was sponsoring the "Poverty Bus Tour", because he doubted if Smiley/West had went into their own pocket to fund this tour....No one seem to want to address this issue.
ReplyDeleteSmiley must have a selected memory, because he was dogging Obama, before he was elected President.....its the reason he left the Tom Joyner Show, because the Black people he so much loved, turned on him (He basically was saying Obama wasnt as qualified as Hillary to be President ..at the same time Tom was saying anyone Black should be supporting/voting for Obama).
The bottom line is Smiley/West are educated enough to know that Obama cant have a "black agenda" and he has to have programs that will benefit all Americansnot just Black Americans.
.
Well said, Big G.
ReplyDeleteThis morning Steve Harvey admitted he went to far with the Uncle Tom comment and offered his apology to Smiley/West. .
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post and the update Big G. I agree, Harvey was over-the-top. But he did raise an interesting question. who is funding this tour?
ReplyDelete