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 16, 2026 • 38min
Wendell Potter joins Tavis Smiley
Wendell Potter, New York Times best-selling author and health insurance industry insider-turned-whistleblower, explains how he became a fierce advocate for single-payer health care reform and discusses the latest changes to the Affordable Care Act.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Jan 16, 2026 • 18min
Caleb Gayle joins Tavis Smiley
Award-winning journalist Caleb Gayle takes readers inside his new book, “Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State,” about Edward McCabe’s crusade to create an all-Black state in Oklahoma.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Jan 16, 2026 • 22min
Dr. Cornel West joins Tavis Smiley
Dr. Cornel West, scholar, leading public intellectual, author and special contributor, shares his thoughts on geopolitics and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Jan 16, 2026 • 16min
Dr. Clayborne Carson joins Tavis Smiley
Dr. Clayborne Carson, Martin Luther King Jr. Centennial Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, honors the civil rights leader on his birthday with his favorite stories, footnotes and insights.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Jan 16, 2026 • 22min
Tim Golden joins Tavis Smiley
Republicans refuse to check Trump’s power in Venezuela and there is yet another ICE shooting in Minneapolis. Tavis talks politics and more with our regular contributor, lawyer, author, philosopher, and professor, Tim Golden.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Jan 16, 2026 • 18min
Ilunga Adell joins Tavis Smiley
IIunga Adell, television writer and actor, looks back at his time on “Sanford and Son,” which premiered on this day in 1972, as well as his long career on beloved shows like “227,” “A Different World,” “Roc,”and “Moesha.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Jan 16, 2026 • 19min
Jermaine Fowler joins Tavis Smiley
Jermaine Fowler previews his new horror film, “Night Patrol,” and discusses his career as a successful actor and comedian.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Jan 16, 2026 • 18min
Raquel Graham joins Tavis Smiley
Raquel Graham, "Shark Tank" winner, CEO of Roq Innovation, and host of "Entrepreneuring with Raquel Graham" on KBLA Talk 1580 gives her insight on Black-led investment funds thriving despite DEI rollbacks, the benefits of franchising and why Africa is the next frontier for Black entrepreneurs.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Jan 16, 2026 • 22min
Bill Kurtis joins Tavis Smiley
Bill Kurtis, broadcaster and documentary producer, reflects on his time covering the assassination of Fred Hampton and other historic events in his new memoir, “Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Jan 16, 2026 • 17min
Bishop William J. Barber II joins Tavis Smiley
Bishop William J. Barber II, president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach and Moral Mondays, discusses the ICE resistance movement, the “It’s Time to Love Forward Together” moral march and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
