

Tavis Smiley
KBLA Talk 1580
"Tavis Smiley" is the flagship program for KBLA, America's newest progressive radio network and LA's first Black-owned talk station. Broadcast live across southern California on 1580AM and around the world on KBLA1580.com and TuneIn, this podcast presents the best of Tavis Smiley's conversations with activists, influencers, thought leaders, and cultural vanguards.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 1, 2026 • 40min
Marcus Collins joins Tavis Smiley
In this Best of 2025 episode, we revisit Tavis Smiley’s conversation with University of Michigan professor, award-winning cultural translator, and author Marcus Collins as he shares his thoughts on America confronting the erasure of Black history and progress, the White House’s new media bias tracker, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Jan 1, 2026 • 40min
Jeffrey Stewart joins Tavis Smiley
In this Best of 2025 episode, we revisit Tavis Smiley’s conversation with historian, professor, and UC Santa Barbara Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Jeffrey Stewart as he celebrates the 100th anniversary of The New Negro: An Interpretation, his new edition of that seminal anthology, and his 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning work on editor Alain Locke.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dec 31, 2025 • 41min
Mother Viola Fletcher Tribute
In this Best of 2025 episode, we revisit the late Mother Viola Fletcher, the longest-living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, in her final in-studio conversation with Tavis Smiley.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dec 31, 2025 • 38min
Jaron Lanier joins Tavis Smiley
In this Best of 2025 episode, we revisit Tavis Smiley’s conversation with Jaron Lanier—futurist, public intellectual, and computer scientist—as he shares an update on the intersection of AI and humans, marking 35 years since the first web browser, website, and server were launched.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dec 30, 2025 • 37min
Kenric Green joins Tavis Smiley
In this Best of 2025 episode, we revisit Tavis Smiley’s conversation with actor Kenric Green, star of the new film Sarah’s Oil, as he recounts the story of a young Black girl who became a millionaire after “black gold” was discovered on her Oklahoma land and shares what it’s like to be one half of a Hollywood power couple with Sonequa Martin-Green.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dec 30, 2025 • 20min
Karida Brown joins Tavis Smiley
In this Best of 2025 episode, we revisit Tavis Smiley’s conversation with NAACP award-winning historian and Fulbright scholar Karida Brown, Emory University sociology professor, as she discusses her two latest books, The Battle for the Black Mind and The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dec 30, 2025 • 22min
Lori Wallach joins Tavis Smiley
In this Best of 2025 episode, we revisit Tavis Smiley’s conversation with Lori Wallach, director of the Rethink Trade program at American Economic Liberties Project, as she breaks down President Donald Trump’s $2,000 stimulus plan, which is supposedly funded by tariffs.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dec 30, 2025 • 18min
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn joins Tavis Smiley
In this Best of 2025 episode, we revisit Tavis Smiley’s conversation with U.S. Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) as he discusses his new memoir, The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dec 30, 2025 • 39min
Ruth E. Carter joins Tavis Smiley
In this Best of 2025 episode, we revisit Tavis Smiley’s conversation with Ruth E. Carter, two-time Oscar-winning costume designer, as they discuss her career, the story behind Eddie Murphy’s red leather suit, and her insights featured in the new documentary Being Eddie.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Dec 29, 2025 • 16min
Randi Weingarten joins Tavis Smiley
In this Best of 2025 episode, we revisit Tavis Smiley’s conversation with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, as she goes inside her new book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.


