Tavis Smiley has been recognized – and sometimes criticized – in his role as one of the eminent African American voices in recent years through work as a radio host, political analyst and best-selling author.
“I learned years ago if you follow the need of your people there is always something to do,” Smiley said. “ And I’m always excited about new ways to serve the need of our people.”
With his latest contribution, Smiley sets personal opinions aside while serving as narrator for collective voice that speaks on behalf of Black people through the traveling exhibit America I Am: The African American Imprint. The exhibit previews in St. Louis on the grounds of the Missouri History Museum on Wednesday, July 9.
“This is probably the most exciting thing that I’ve done in my career so far,” Smiley said. “We’ve been here for 400 years and in that span there has never been an exhibition that tells the stories as to what our contribution is to this country.”
Smiley developed the concept for America I Am around legendary African American intellectual Dr. W.E.B. DuBois’ rhetorical question found in his book The Souls of Black Folk where he matter-of-factly asks “Would America have been America without her Negro people?”
According to Smiley the evidence presented through America I Am clearly illustrates the answer as a resounding “NO!”
“Through this we have finally gotten around to answering that question,” Smiley said. “This exhibit tells the story as to what has been our unequivocal imprint on the nation. It tells the story of our contribution to America – when you leave you will surely know that contribution.”
America I Am features more than 15,000 square feet of African American artifacts and multimedia evidence of the Black experience. The spectrum of the collection ranges from the Slaves at Jamestown in the early 1600’s to Senator Barack Obama’s historic feat of becoming the first African American to secure a major party nomination for the U.S. Presidency in 2008.
“There are handwritten letters from Booker T. Washington, Dr. W.E.B. DuBois and Marcus Garvey,” Smiley said. “As well as tons of artifacts, some that have never been seen before publicly. ”
A doorway that led Africans in Ghana to their first steps in their passage to slavery labeled “The door of no return”, The jail cell once housing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are just a small sample of the pieces of history that come together to create America I Am.
“You can literally walk through the door your ancestors went through,” Smiley said.
The full-scale exhibit kicks off next November at cities that are to be announced later this month. But a mini-museum sneak preview promotional tour kicks off at the Essence Festival in New Orleans led by Smiley and Dr. Cornell West and will continue through 100 U.S. cities with St. Louis being second on the long list of stops.
“We need to know what Our imprint is on this country – to be able to see it touch and to learn about it,” Smiley said. “America needs to know what our imprint is as well. We didn’t start with Obama, he is a part of a continuum.”
On July 9, a nationwide mobile tour, America I Am Across America opens, one day only, in front of the north entrance of your Missouri History Museum. The America I Am Across America mobile unit will be open during museum hours, 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. For more information about the America I Am: The African American Imprint visit www.americaiam.org
