this is what Tavis had to say...it's long: http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/eek.gif
>
>Subject: BET! - There's No Such Thing!!!
>
>Tavis Responds To BET Firing
>Tom Joyner Morning Show Commentary
>Thursday, March 22, 2001
>Good Morning Tom, Sybil and J.!
>In a tribute Tuesday morning to my dearly departed grandmother, Adel Smiley,
>Mother Adel as we affectionately called her; I talked about the fact that on
>every headstone there is a date of birth, a date of transition and a dash in
>the middle.
>The dash in the middle is what matters most, because that dash represents a
>life that was either lived for a cause or a life that was lived just
>because. I trust that you fit squarely into the former category and not the
>latter.
>Sometimes while trying to make the most of that dash in the middle, we get
>caught in the middle. Caught in the middle of situations and circumstances
>that we did not create and do not control.
>Control. I suspect that's why Booker T. Washington said that at the bottom
>of all of our struggle must be the struggle for economic independence.
>Washington understood even then that the real Golden Rule is simply this: he
>who has the gold makes the rule. And so the staple of Black progress must be
>economic independence. When we surrender it, we surrender control. The
>control we need to enlighten, encourage and empower Black people.
>For the past five years, I have attempted every night as the host of BET
>Tonight on Black Entertainment Television to enlighten, encourage, empower
>and, yes, sometimes to entertain Black folk. As Black folk sometimes we
>laugh just to keep from crying! Moreover, I've learned from working with Tom
>that if we can get people to laugh, we can get them to listen.
>Which reminds me J., did I ever tell you the one about...!!!
>Seriously though, I sincerely want to thank the folk at BET for giving me a
>chance to bring you conversations I have shared with everyone from Clinton
>to Castro, Cosby to Cochran, from Prince to the Pope, from Patti to Puffy,
>Sharpton to Snoop. Even when talking with entertainers, my goal is to find
>an empowerment component to the conversation. I'm proud of what we've done
>in making our show a window to Black America.
>I believe that our lives are not so much made up of the breaths we take, but
>of the moments, which take our breath away. I've had more than a few of
>those moments over five seasons.
>Last Friday afternoon I traveled from Chicago where we had been engaging
>small Black owned businesses to embrace technology and grow their operation,
>to Warren, OH, for the kickoff of our Foundation's 9-city 2001 Youth 2
>Leaders seminar series, where we work with inner city youth to help them
>discover, develop and define their leadership skills.
>When I arrived in Ohio I learned that BET and its new owner Viacom had faxed
>a letter to my agent informing us that they would not be exercising the
>option to extend my contract for the engagement period when it expires on
>September 6, 2001. Translation: THE END.
>After leaving Ohio and traveling to Midway, GA, to pay my last respects to
>Mother Adel, I returned home to Los Angeles and convened a meeting Monday
>afternoon to hear suggestions from my advisors on strategy.
>There was, of course, a variety of opinions expressed, but at the conclusion
>of our session the general consensus seemed to be that for a litany of
>reasons I should exercise the option in my contract and simply resign
>immediately.
>Why? My advisors argued that Viacom and BET no longer deserved to have me on
>their network. Viacom and BET have the absolute right to cancel our
>contractual agreement, but after five years of hosting the signature talk
>show on the network, could not one person have picked up the phone to call
>me personally instead of choosing to fax a four sentence memo to my
>representative? Five years, four sentences.
>I listened to my advisors through the pain. To be sure, I have never owned
>anything at BET, but I do take ownership of my personal and professional
>mission statement: to compete only with myself and find a way night in and
>night out to best represent, to best advocate for Black people.
>They say you shouldn't take these things personally. But for me, it is
>personal. I launched, have hosted and executive produced this show since its
>inception. All along I have tried to maintain the integrity and credibility
>of our advocacy on BET against some pretty incredible odds.
>My mother wasn't a part of the strategy session --- but anybody who knows me
>knows that at some point in this process, my mother and I were going to have
>a little prayer and supplication.
>She started out with the philosophical and then brought the theological.
>Reminding me first, that like an airplane ascending to 37,000 feet,
>sometimes we have to go through a little turbulence before things smooth
>out. "Tavis, you can't climb higher without encountering a few bumps along
>the way," she said. Then she brought the theological, which is why I love my
>praying and preaching momma; reminding me that even Jesus before He could
>rise from the grave and bring us new life had to first go the way of the
>cross. In life, there is no progress without a struggle. And truth be told,
>sometimes we are at our highest when our fortunes are lowest.
>I was so relieved to hear my mother's confirmation of what I had already
>decided to do.
>Indeed, while I can exercise the out clause in my contract with Viacom and
>BET and walk away immediately, I'm concerned about what will happen to the
>two groups of folk who have been most loyal to me. First, the viewers and
>second my production staff.
>I'm concerned that the viewers who have been so loyal to me (despite changes
>in the time slot, run time and format of the show) need a voice on Black
>Entertainment Television that will speak truth to power about African
>American issues daily.
>In no way am I suggesting that I have always done that expertly or that I am
>the only voice in Black America capable of doing so. Not at all. I just do
>not know who BET now plans to assign that role to. BET has informed me that
>they no longer require my services, but the network has said that, "The BET
>Tonight show will live on - but in a new direction."
>I'm concerned about my production team because they have been loyal to me
>beyond measure. When we moved the show from Washington, DC to Los Angeles
>last year, no less than four people relocated to LA to continue working with
>me. For that I am eternally grateful.
>Not to mention that you don't win the NAACP Image Award as Black America's
>favorite talk show for the past three consecutive years by yourself; the
>highest award bestowed by the National Association of Minorities in
>Communications; a host of other honors and recognitions; and have your
>program profiled in everything from Time and Newsweek to People and the
>cover of TV Guide. None of us succeeds alone. None of us really flies solo.
>Somehow I feel like I'd be deserting the people behind the camera who have
>made me look good for five years in front of the camera. And let's face it,
>Hollywood ain't exactly the easiest place for folk who look like us to find
>gainful employment! Besides, I've had it with all of this greed masking as
>corporate downsizing that places people in the unemployment line after years
>of dedicated service. Whatever happened to loyalty?
>And so I've decided not to resign as some advised me, but to keep
>representing as best I can for as long as I can --- or until such time as
>Viacom and BET pull the plug on the show.
>This entire situation is still a little hazy for me, but I'm clear about one
>thing: I am unapologetically an advocate. And you don't need a television
>show to advocate; to be a change agent.
>Dr. King never had a television show. Malcolm X never had a television show.
>Mary McCloud Bethune. Roger Wilkins. Ida B. Wells. Medgar Evers. Harriet
>Tubman. Then again, as I think about it, I guess Harriet Tubman would not
>have been well served anyway to be broadcasting on television what she was
>doing on the Underground Railroad!
>Indeed, many of you listening to me right now advocate on behalf of
>children, seniors, students, AIDS victims, the homeless, the unemployed and
>the underemployed, the incarcerated --- you advocate for the least among us
>--- those who are socially, politically and economically disenfranchised ---
>you represent for them everyday and you do it without a television show.
>And so will I, once again.
>Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "What lies behind us and what lies before us
>are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
>I believe that. We are all God's creation. Situations do not control us. We
>control situations.
>I believe that, if anything, this is just another situation for revelation.
>Just since yesterday, your calls, faxes and e-mail have overwhelmed my
>office. I wish to thank you.
>Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up!
>And so, I close this morning just as I have every evening on BET Tonight for
>five seasons: KEEP THE FAITH!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the COMPUSA thing a couple of years ago???

Also, do we REALLY think that Viacom, a multinational corporation that gives $$$ to politicians in BOTH parties so that they will do the company's bidding, is going to fire the man because he got black folks fired up against ONE Senator re: the HBCU thing? If that's the case, why not buy off Jesse or Al Sharpton? Oops, my bag, they've done that already!

I'm not saying that gag attempts aren't made, but I think we need to look at this as a money thing--shows like Tavis' cost $$$ to produce; booty video shows and other intellectual cotton candy cost nothing to produce. I'm sure Viacom is trying to boost that 50+ percent profitability rate even higher, and an expensive news show with a host who's got his book signings, lectures and other irons in the fire is expendable to them.

"We" don't think anything...maybe "you" do...

That COMPUSA thing could still be going on...I have received emails about that as recent as 2 weeks ago.

Who knows what is going on...but something surely IS!

Soror AKA2D91:

I most certainly do not buy into the conspiracy theory I have seen some of US (right here on this board, and via other forums, listservs, etc.) launch into about this matter! My question still stands...

I also know that the COMPUSA thing is dead and gone, in terms of settling the issue (people have received their coupons, the company met the demands, etc.). However, just like the urban legend emails about black postage stamps, slavery reparations tax credits and the nullification of black folks' voting rights, these emails tend to circle around for YEARS, even after the issue has been resolved and/or proven incorrect.

SOROR...

I was implying earlier that "we" cannot speak for each other here..."we" can ONLY speak for ourselves... No one can dictate what our beliefs, ideals are OR should be, regardless of who "you" are! Yet, "we" can express our beliefs/ideals...AGREE OR DISAGREE, IF "YOU" WISH! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif

And that's that! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

OH, SPEAKING GENERALLY, OF COURSE! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif



[This message has been edited by AKA2D '91 (edited March 22, 2001).]

Okay, soror. Again, my question was just that, a question, not a statement speaking for anyone. We'll "leave it go" at that.

Say it ain't soooo! I don't watch ABC Nightly News with the Brokow......I watch BET .....Tavis Smiley.....

WHAT THE HEY!///////I WILL WRITE....I WILL STAND.....HELLO NO TAVIS WON'T GO!

Deja

------------------
TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN....MUCH IS EXPECTED.

I got something similar to OHLALA's post in my email:

I'm wit cha Soror DG!!!

Well as Tavis's frat brother, (and someone who sometimes disagreed with him) I am very
sorry to see the show go. I can honestly say that I am of the same mind as
Discogoddess, but I did think that the show performed a vital service to our community.
Why not take that crap, "OH Drama" off, or cut down on those damn videos. Or why not
take that dumb azz talk show off. I will also be writing to Viacom, and letting them know
how I feel. It's really sad, because we have so few show s to choose from, and one that
doesn't show us acting a fool, killing each other or ghetto as hell is a welcome change.

Not to throw stones, but doesn't Bob Johnson have some type of role in Viacom? Isn't he
still involved, if that were the case, I would hope that he would have at least fought for
Tavis a little. Him and Tavis have 6 things in common that I would hope Brother Johnson
would not have forgotten about.

MN

[This message has been edited by ManndingoNUPE (edited March 22, 2001).]

Please clarify .. are you saying his show is not of any great substance? I am not one to play follow the leader either, but I thought his show was intellectually stimulating. He did NOT seem to be an outspoken Al Sharpton, but he did speak on getting out to vote and just simply saying don't go easy - stay and fight! Did you see him as doing more which you did not like or less which you also did not like?

Just a question - maybe I took your comment out of context!

[This message has been edited by LadyAKA (edited March 22, 2001).]

I tried to email Viacom and it was returned!! Now what? I guess I am going to have to go to the dread pen, paper and stamp!!

Has anyone been on www.aka1908.com recently? I checked in today and saw that Soror Norma has a letter posted regarding Tavis Smiley's dismissal from BET.

ALLLLLLLLRRRRIIIGHHHHHHHT NOW!

But, I did NOT know Teen Summit had gotten the ax too! NOW, THAT'S A SHAME! (even though I have not really watched it in years!) That show has come a long way. Rememember that first group (c/o '90, yay!)with their cardigan sweaters? http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/eek.gif

I heard this morning on Tom Joyner that Tom has MANY, MANY deals coming his way from ALL of the major networks including Fox and CNN.

It seems that being "fired" from BET could have been the best thing for him.

I'm very glad that Mr. Smiley has been getting many offers. Being the wise man he is, I'm sure that he'll consider the network that has demonstrated a commitment to the minority community and will provide a sound forum for Smiley.