Tavis Smiley grew up in a family of thirteen in rural Indiana, where money was scarce and the sight of other black faces even scarcer. Always an outsider because of his race, economic background, and Pentecostal religious beliefs, he was sustained by his family’s love. But one day his world was shattered when his father brutally beat him, sending him to the hospital and then into foster care for a period of time. In What I Know for Sure, Smiley recounts how he overcame his painful history and became one of America’s most popular media figures.

“Engaging and compelling. . . . A down-home tale of how one survives, learns and grows in a discordant world into something bigger and better.” —Los Angeles Times

“A remarkable memoir about one of America’s most popular media figures.” —Ebony

“Astounding.”—Philadelphia Inquirer

 
Visit the author's site: www.tavistalks.com

 
Tavis Smiley is the host of PBS's The Tavis Smiley Show. He also appears as a regular commentator on Tom Joyner's top-rated ABC radio show. He is the author of such bestsellers as Hard Left, Doing What's Right, How to Make Black America Better, and Keeping the Faith.

David Ritz has written biographies of, among others, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and B. B. King. His latest book, Messengers: Portraits of African American Ministers, was published in 2006.