2015 Press Releases

Tavis Smiley and Michel Martin to discuss Smiley's My Journey with Maya
Press Release · Monday, March 30, 2015

Washington, DC

Tavis Smiley and Michel Martin to discuss Smiley's "My Journey with Maya"

On Friday, April 10, at 7 PM, the National Archives welcomes Tavis Smiley for a special program based on his new book, My Journey with Maya, a story of his enduring friendship with renowned author, poet and activist Maya Angelou. Michel Martin of National Public Radio will join him to discuss Angelou's life and legacy. A book signing will follow the program. This event is presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture.

This screening is free and open to the public and will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, and streamed live via YouTube. Attendees should use the Special Events entrance, located on Constitution Avenue at 7th Street, NW. The building is fully accessible. Metro: Yellow or Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial station.

Tavis Smiley met Maya Angelou in 1986, when he was 21 and she was 58. For the next 28 years, she served as a teacher and a maternal figure to Smiley. In My Journey with Maya, Smiley recounts their friendship filled with conversation that began when he, a recent college graduate and a poor kid from a large family in the Midwest, accompanied Angelou on a trip to Ghana.

Tavis Smiley hosts PBS's "Tavis Smiley" and Public Radio International's "The Tavis Smiley Show" and is the author of 17 books, including the New York Times best-sellers What I Know for Sure and The Covenant With Black America.

Michel Martin can be heard across NPR news programs, bringing her deep reporting and interviewing experience to bear on NPR's coverage of relevant topics, including education, families, faith, race and social issues. Outside the studio, she is hosting NPR Presents Michel Martin, an ambitious live event series in collaboration with Member Stations.

Martin launched and hosted Tell Me More, a one-hour daily NPR news and talk show that aired on NPR stations nationwide from 2007-2014.

Read the Rediscovering Black History blog post:  "Dr. Maya Angelou’s Legacy through the National Archives."

# # #

For press information contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

Connect with the National Archives on:
Twitter:   @USNatArchives
Facebook:   USNationalArchives
Tumblr:   http://usnatarchives.tumblr.com

15-60

This page was last reviewed on November 6, 2018.
Contact us with questions or comments.

Top