Tavis Smiley, once the poster child for African American intellect and accomplishment who many witnessed fall from grace due to his biting criticism of the nation’s first black president , is today doing what real men do. He’s dusted himself off and is pressing forward to have his voice heard and, more importantly, his message understood.
The award-winning broadcaster and bestselling author is literally taking a page from his book, FAIL UP: 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure, and is turning his personal and professional setbacks into another rung on the ladder to greatness. Rolling out caught up with Smiley in Houston recently to talk with him about failing up, falling down and the lessons learned from both. –roz edward
What is the premise behind the book?
I looked back on my two-decade career in broadcasting, and it occurred to me that I had a lot of failings and a lot of mistakes along the way. What I have essentially done is failed my way up and so the book lays out — on the occasion of my 20th anniversary in broadcasting — 20 of the worst mistakes [and] biggest failings I’ve ever had, and there are three or four things I hope people will find: One is that failure is not fatal and failure is not final. It doesn’t have to have the last word; two, that failure is really a synonym for preparation; three, if we are being honest, we learn much more from our failures than we ever learn from our successes; and four, there is no success without failure. These two things [success and failure] are inextricably linked. You cannot live a life of purpose, of value, of any accomplishment at all without taking risks.
What are some of the mistakes you talk about in Fail Up?
Some of them are so embarrassing and humiliating that even my parents didn’t know for all these years until this book came out. Sometimes, we make mistakes and do things in our lives that are too embarrassing to even relate to our families and friends. My parents didn’t know that I went to prison earlier for writing bad checks when I was in college. My parents didn’t know it actually took me 16 years to officially get my college degree. In my career on radio and television, I’ve had open mic incidents — one on radio and one on television where I was recorded saying something I didn’t think I was going to be recorded saying it. … I want [people] to know that there is nothing in life that we can’t endure, that we cannot recover from. It’s about redemption.
I looked back on my two-decade career in broadcasting, and it occurred to me that I had a lot of failings and a lot of mistakes along the way. What I have essentially done is failed my way up and so the book lays out — on the occasion of my 20th anniversary in broadcasting — 20 of the worst mistakes [and] biggest failings I’ve ever had, and there are three or four things I hope people will find: One is that failure is not fatal and failure is not final. It doesn’t have to have the last word; two, that failure is really a synonym for preparation; three, if we are being honest, we learn much more from our failures than we ever learn from our successes; and four, there is no success without failure. These two things [success and failure] are inextricably linked. You cannot live a life of purpose, of value, of any accomplishment at all without taking risks.
What are some of the mistakes you talk about in Fail Up?
Some of them are so embarrassing and humiliating that even my parents didn’t know for all these years until this book came out. Sometimes, we make mistakes and do things in our lives that are too embarrassing to even relate to our families and friends. My parents didn’t know that I went to prison earlier for writing bad checks when I was in college. My parents didn’t know it actually took me 16 years to officially get my college degree. In my career on radio and television, I’ve had open mic incidents — one on radio and one on television where I was recorded saying something I didn’t think I was going to be recorded saying it. … I want [people] to know that there is nothing in life that we can’t endure, that we cannot recover from. It’s about redemption.
Does President Obama make America better?
Yes, he does. There is a lot he could be doing to make America even better. I have a whole chapter in the book about the Tavis-Obama drama that everybody was so obsessed with a couple of years ago, but the bottom line is this about the president … and I speak with my good friend, Dr. Cornell West, about it all the time … and I am borrowing from him, but it sums up my feelings, and I concur with this statement from him: We have to respect the president, we have to protect the president and, sometimes, we have to correct the president. I have always respected him, and I have protected him, especially when this birther nonsense jumped off with Donald Trump and all of that idiocy.
Yes, he does. There is a lot he could be doing to make America even better. I have a whole chapter in the book about the Tavis-Obama drama that everybody was so obsessed with a couple of years ago, but the bottom line is this about the president … and I speak with my good friend, Dr. Cornell West, about it all the time … and I am borrowing from him, but it sums up my feelings, and I concur with this statement from him: We have to respect the president, we have to protect the president and, sometimes, we have to correct the president. I have always respected him, and I have protected him, especially when this birther nonsense jumped off with Donald Trump and all of that idiocy.
See photos of Tavis Smiley’s book signing in Houston here on rolling out.
