Thursday, January 12, 2012George Washington University Lisner Auditorium · Washington DC

http://www.tavistalks.com/remakingamerica

In these challenging economic times, we know it will take a variety of voices, ideas and points of view to get America working again. Based in the heart of the nation’s capital, George Washington has a long-standing commitment to transform ideas into action in order to solve big problems. Inspired by our namesake, GW connects all that Washington, DC has to offer with an intellectual environment that drives progress so that our next generation of leaders can be at the forefront of the changes that will make a lasting difference in the world. We hope that tonight’s event continues in this bold tradition.

Tavis Smiley AND ALL THE PARTICIPANTS OF

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

W E L C O M E S

Remaking America: From Poverty to Prosperity

TO GW’S LISNER AUDITORIUM

January 12, 2012

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the George Washington University for this evening's program, "Remaking America: From Poverty to Prosperity." The university seeks to convene discussions surrounding important current issues. And we are delighted to provide the venue for tonight's program as we welcome Tavis Smiley and his distinguished guests to our historic Lisner Auditorium for an engaging conversation about solutions for restoring America’s prosperity.

Chartered by an Act of Congress in 1821, the George Washington University was founded to realize our namesake's vision for a university in this nation's capital that would educate citizen-leaders for the new nation. Today, we continue that mission by training citizen-leaders for the nation and for the world. With students from the District of Columbia, all 50 states, and more than 130 countries, we take advantage of our location by integrating intellectual discovery with unparalleled access to the national and international institutions that surround us. George Washington attracts people who have a passion for changing the world, as our students and faculty take full advantage of special opportunities to serve locally, nationally, and globally while learning from the most influential leaders of our time.

Thank you for joining us this evening. Please enjoy the program.

Sincerely,

WELCOME TO:

Remaking America: From Poverty to Prosperity

Thank you for joining us today for what we believe will be a thought-provoking conversation about poverty in America. The numbers are clear; the middle class are the new poor. More children are going hungry every day. People are losing their homes. We must eradicate poverty before poverty eradicates us.

On March 16, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared a War on Poverty in America. His answer? Create large-scale national programs aimed at helping the poor and needy that consumed nearly 1.2 percent

of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). How much longer will our government wait before they declare war on poverty in modern-day America? Must we wait on the government to mobilize, prioritize, and energize our nation? We can Remake America!

The road ahead will not be easy. We must fight --- are you prepared to fight? Consider these words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:

“We are called to play the Good Samaritan on life’s roadside…but one day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that a system that produces beggars needs to be repaved. We are called to be the Good Samaritan, but after you lift so many people out of the ditch, you start to ask, maybe the whole road to Jericho needs to be repaved.”

Are you ready to repave America? One percent cannot control all the wealth --- this math will not sustain our nation. I genuinely hope that our nationally broadcast conversation with some of the country’s most prominent thinkers and advocates will encourage you to consider how YOU can alter the course of our nation and make it as good as its promise.

LIVE tweet during the conversation with the hashtag #RemakingAmerica.

Thank you for joining us and here’s to a day full of enlightenment, encouragement, and empowerment for us all.

Keep the Faith,

Tavis Smiley

WELCOME TO:

Remaking America: From Poverty to Prosperity

Event Schedule

Event Schedule

January 12, 2012

The Poverty Tour Slide Show

Welcome

Dr. Steven Knapp, President, George Washington University

Introduction of Tavis Smiley

Neal Kendall, Executive Producer, Tavis Smiley on PBS

Introduction of Panelists

Conversation

Closing Remarks

Learn more about our work in Family Economic Securitywww.wkkf.org

That’s why we support the Family Independence Initiative, a national anti-poverty center that supports families working collectively to overcome challenges, build financial stability, strengthen their communities and prepare the next generation to grow, contribute and lead.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation recognizes that strong, stable families and communities can raise happy, healthy, successful children.

This is the face of financial independence.

From his celebrated conversations with world figures to his work to inspire the next generation of leaders; as a broadcaster, author, publisher, advocate, and philanthropist, Tavis Smiley continues to be an outstanding voice for change. Smiley is currently the host of the late-night television talk show Tavis Smiley on PBS and The Tavis Smiley Show from Public Radio International (PRI).

In addition to his radio and television work, Smiley has authored 15 books. His memoir, What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America, became a New York Times best seller, and the book he edited, Covenant with Black America, became the first nonfiction book by a Black-owned publisher to reach #1 on the New York Times’ best-sellers list.

His latest book, FAIL UP: 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure was released in May of 2011. In FAIL UP, Smiley steps from behind the curtain of success to recount 20 instances of perceived “failures” that were, in fact, “lessons” that shaped the principles and practices he employs today. Readers will find a kinship in Smiley’s humanness that inspires, informs, and reminds us of our inherent ability to achieve and grow in spite of life’s inevitable setbacks.

Smiley is the presenter and creative force behind America I AM: The African American Imprint. This unprecedented traveling museum exhibition, which debuted in January 2009, will tour the country for four years, celebrating the extraordinary impact of African American contributions to our nation and the world, as told through rare artifacts, memorabilia, and multimedia.

Smiley’s most gratifying accomplishments are rooted in his passion to inspire the next generation of leaders. The nonprofit Tavis Smiley Foundation was established to provide leadership training and development for youth. Since its inception, more than 6,000 young people have participated in the foundation’s Youth to Leaders training workshops and conferences.

His communications company, The Smiley Group, Inc., is dedicated to supporting human rights and related empowerment issues and serves as the holding company for various enterprises encompassing broadcast and print media, lectures, symposiums, and the Internet.

Smiley’s achievements have earned him numerous awards and honorary doctorate degrees, including one from his alma mater, Indiana University. In 2009, Indiana University named the atrium of its School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) building “The Tavis Smiley Atrium.” Smiley is also the recipient of the prestigious Du Bois Medal from Harvard University and the 2009 Interdependence Day Prize from Demos in Istanbul, Turkey.

Follow him on Twitter @ TavisSmiley #RemakingAmerica

Tavis Smiley Moderator

Majora Carter's work is founded on the principle that "You don't have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one." As increasing numbers of Americans find themselves unable to sell or buy homes, this goal is gaining more and more relevance.

Majora is probably the only person to receive an award from John Podesta’s Center for American Progress, AND a Liberty Medal for Lifetime Achievement from Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post/News Corp. Fast Company magazine named her one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business, the New York Times described her as “The Green Power Broker,” and the Ashoka Foundation’s Changemakers.org recently dubbed Majora Carter “The Prophet of Local.”

Majora Carter produces and hosts the Peabody Award–winning public-radio series The Promised Land, and serves on the boards of the US Green Building Council, and The Wilderness Society. She has a long list of awards and honorary degrees, including a MacArthur “genius” Fellowship. She founded and led Sustainable South Bronx, from 2001 to 2008—a time when few were talking about “sustainability,” and even fewer in places like the South Bronx.

By 2003, Majora coined the term “Green the Ghetto” as she pioneered one of the nation’s first urban green-collar job training and placement systems, and spearheaded legislation that fueled demand for those jobs. Majora’s 2006 TED talk was one of six presentations to launch that groundbreaking website.

Since 2008, her consulting company has exported climate adaptation, urban micro-agribusiness, and leadership development strategies for business, government, foundations, universities, and economically under-performing communities.

Follow her on Twitter @ MajoraCarter #RemakingAmerica

PanelistsMajora Carter Roger A. Clay

PanelistsRoger A. Clay, Jr. is the president of the Insight Center for Community Economic Development in Oakland, California, a national research, consulting, and legal organization with a mission of helping people and communities become and remain economically secure. During its 42-year existence the Insight Center has provided support to over 500 community-based development organizations, and helped create housing, businesses, jobs, childcare programs, and financial assets for low-income and minority communities across the country.

Mr. Clay has been committed to achieving racial and economic justice his entire professional career. He began his legal career as a law clerk at the Insight Center and returned 30 years later as its president. Prior to rejoining the Insight Center, Mr. Clay was the general counsel of the California Housing Finance Agency, a

partner with the law firm of Goldfarb & Lipman advising housing and community economic development organizations. He later became the vice president with the Corporation for Supportive Housing, promoting permanent housing with services for people at risk of homelessness, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute on Race & Poverty at the University of Minnesota. Mr. Clay has been a leader in the legal profession for more than 35 years. He was the chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law and twice served as the chair of the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty. In 2009 he was awarded the Michael Scher Award by the ABA for his outstanding commitment to housing and community development law. He is also the 1990 recipient of the Distinguished Counsel Award from the Housing and Development Law Institute. Mr. Clay is the co-editor of the book, Building Healthy Communities: A Guide to Community Economic Development for Advocates, Lawyers, and Policymakers, published by the ABA.

Mr. Clay has served in numerous community and professional leadership roles. He was the chair of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, the chair of the Human Rights Committee of the California State Bar, and was an initial board member or founder of numerous organizations. Some of his other board memberships have included the Center for Community Change, the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty, and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities. He currently is on the board of the Center for Social Inclusion.

Mr. Clay has been an active volunteer for his alma mater, Stanford University. He served as vice-chair of the Board of Trustees, chair of the Stanford Alumni Association, and currently is on the national advisory boards for the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences, and the Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity. He is the recipient of the Gold Spike award, the University’s highest award for volunteer leadership service.

Mr. Clay has a B.A. in sociology from Stanford University, M.S.W. from UCLA and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a member of the California and United States Supreme Court Bars.

Roger A. Clay

Barbara Ehrenreich is the author of 21 books, including the New York Times best sellers, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (2001), and Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America (2010). She is a frequent contributor to the New York Times, Harpers, the Progressive, and Time magazine, and has appeared on Oprah, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Joy Behar Show, to name a few.

Before becoming an activist, Ehrenreich studied cell biology and physics, graduating with a degree in physics from Reed College in 1963 and a Ph.D. in cell biology from Rockefeller University in 1968. However, after completing her studies, Ehrenreich became involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement and began to question whether she wanted to spend her life at the laboratory bench. Ultimately, she

chose to turn her attention to political and anti-war activism. She joined a tiny nonprofit in New York City that advocated for better health care for the city’s poor, where part of the job was to put out a monthly bulletin. Before she knew it, she found herself thoroughly enjoying doing investigative journalism.

After the birth of her son, she quit her teaching job at the State University of NY, Old Westbury, to become a full-time writer. Her work life settled into three tracks, which continue to this day: journalism, book-length projects, and activism on such issues as health care, peace, women’s rights, and economic justice.

Each of Ehrenreich’s books changed her life in important and unexpected ways. Nickel and Dimed plunged her into the nascent living wage movement, traveling to union rallies and picket lines, and organizing meetings around the country. Curiosity continues to pull Ehrenreich in different directions. She recently published Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy, a scholarly book about festivities and ecstatic rituals. Her latest New York Times best seller, Bright-Sided, describes what she calls “the cult of cheerfulness,” which requires Americans to “think positively” rather than to take positive action for change.

Barbara Ehrenreich Panelists

PanelistsVicki B. Escarra is president and CEO of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, which provides food to Americans in need through a network of more than 200 food banks. Since her appointment in 2006, she has led the organization through the most significant period of advancement in its three-decade history to build Feeding America into a $1.2 billion organization.

Under Escarra’s leadership, the organization has experienced a sweeping transformation, expanding the number of people served from 25 million to 37 million and the pounds of food and grocery products distributed from 2 billion to more than 3 billion annually. She has overseen the development of the national brand to become Feeding America, a 144 percent growth in fundraising, and the establishment of the network’s

first collaborative fundraising effort, the Campaign for a Hunger-Free America, which in two years achieved 45 percent of its 5-year, $500 million goal.

Because of Escarra’s efforts, Feeding America has garnered unprecedented attention from the media, celebrities, and members of Congress to become what Advertising Age referred to as “the go-to cause for marketers.” She was also named to the NonProfit Times’ Power and Influence Top 50 for 2010 and 2011.

Prior to joining Feeding America, Escarra lead a lengthy and distinguished career with Delta Airlines, during which she ascended through several leadership positions, each with an increasing amount of responsibility, ultimately becoming the airline’s chief marketing officer, charged with generating all of the company’s revenue.

Escarra also served the city of Atlanta as chair of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Atlanta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and in partnership with Mayor Shirley Franklin on the Brand Atlanta campaign. She currently serves on the Sesame Workshop Advisory Board on Food Insecurity, as well as the boards of HealthNet, the Congressional Hunger Center, the Chicago Network, the Committee of 200, and the Roosevelt University Board of Regents.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Georgia State University and completed the Columbia University Executive Management Program and the Harvard University Executive Leadership Program.

Follow her on Twitter @ VickiEscarra #RemakingAmerica

Vicki B. Escarra

PanelistsMichael Moore is an Academy Award–winning filmmaker and best-selling author. His films Fahrenheit 9/11, Capitalism: A Love Story, Bowling for Columbine, and SiCKO are among the all-time top ten grossing documentaries.

Follow him on Twitter @MMFlint #RemakingAmerica

Michael Moore

PanelistsSuze Orman has been called “a force in the world of personal finance” and a “one-woman financial advice powerhouse” by USA Today. A two-time Emmy Award–winning television host, New York Times mega-bestselling author, magazine and online columnist, writer/producer, and one of the top motivational speakers in the world today, Orman is undeniably America’s most recognized expert on personal finance.

Orman recently launched a personal finance revolution that she is calling THE PEOPLE FIRST movement. At the center of this movement will be The Approved Card ™, a prepaid card that is unlike anything else in the marketplace today. Orman created this card from the ground up and promises that this card will level the playing field when it

comes to the banking industry.

Orman is a contributing editor to O, The Oprah Magazine and the Costco Connection magazine, and for the last ten years has hosted the award-winning Suze Orman Show, which airs every Saturday night on CNBC. Suze also hosted and produced America’s Money Class which can be seen on the OWN network. Over her television career Suze has accomplished what no other television personality ever has before. Not only is she the single most successful fundraiser in the history of Public Television, but she has also garnered an unprecedented seven Gracie awards, more than anyone in the 35-year history of this prestigious award. The Gracies recognize the nation's best radio, television, and cable programming for, by, and about women.

In October 2010 Forbes honored Orman as one of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.” In May 2010 Orman was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Commercial Science degree from Bentley University. In that same month, Orman received the Gracie Allen Tribute Award from the American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT). The Gracie Allen Tribute Award is bestowed upon an individual who truly plays a key role in laying the foundation for future generations of women in the media. In October 2009 Orman was the recipient of a Visionary Award from the Council for Economic Education for being a champion on economic empowerment. In July 2009 Forbes named Orman 18th on their list of The Most Influential Women in Media. In May 2009 Orman was presented with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Illinois. In May 2009 and May 2008 TIME magazine named Orman as one of the TIME 100, The World’s Most Influential People. In October 2008 Orman was the recipient of the National Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign. In April 2008 Orman was presented with the Amelia Earhart Award for her message of financial empowerment for women. Saturday Night Live has spoofed Suze six times from 2008 to 2011. In 2007, Business Week named Orman one of the top ten motivational speakers in the world—she was the ONLY woman on that list, thereby making her 2007’s top female motivational speaker in the world.

Orman, who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, earned a bachelor’s degree in social work at the University of Illinois and at the age of 30 was still a waitress making $400 a month.

Follow her on Twitter @ SuzeOrman #RemakingAmerica

Suze Orman

PanelistsCornel West is a prominent and provocative democratic intellectual. He is the Class of 1943 University Professor at Princeton University. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in three years and obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton. He has taught at Union Theological Seminary, Yale, Harvard, and the University of Paris. He has written 19 books and edited 13 books. He is best known for his classic Race Matters, Democracy Matters, and his new memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. He appears frequently on Real Time with Bill Maher, The Colbert Report, CNN, and C-SPAN, as well as on his dear brother Tavis Smiley’s PBS TV show. He is also co-host of the popular radio show Smiley & West, heard on PRI around the country. The Smiley & West radio show is a highly acclaimed progressive program.

He made his film debut in The Matrix, and was the commentator (with Ken Wilbur) on the official trilogy, released in 2004. He also has appeared in over 25 documentaries and films including Examined Life, Call & Response, Sidewalk, and Stand.

He has made three spoken-word albums including Never Forget, collaborating with Prince, Jill Scott, Andre 3000, Talib Kweli, KRS-One, and the late Gerald Levert. His spoken-word interludes were featured on Terence Blanchard’s Choices (which won the Grand Prix in France for the best Jazz Album of the year of 2009), the Cornel West Theory’s Second Rome, Raheem DeVaughn’s Love & War: Masterpeace, and most recently on Bootsy Collins’ The Funk Capital of the World. In short, Cornel West has a passion to communicate to a vast variety of publics in order to keep alive the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.—a legacy of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice.

Follow him on Twitter @CornelWest #RemakingAmerica

Cornel West

Thank you to our sponsor:

Thank you to our social media partners:

Cover Art Illustration & Graphic DesignDarryl Donnell Wesson Jr. / www.darryldesignz.com

Whirlington Anderson Jeremy Berry

Tommy Caprio Danny Davis

Thomas Freeman Neal Kendall

Sharon Lee Kim Logan

Brandon Lucas Eugenia Marshall

Kimberley McFarland Jackie Murray

Rhonda Nelson Vonda Paige

Denise Pines Shaiya Rahman

Rachel Reynoso Raymond Ross

Vanessa Rumbles Leshelle Sargent

Stephanie Storey Jessita Usher

Darryl Wesson Joe Zefran

Special thanks to The Smiley Group, Inc. Team

Thank you to our media partners:

Special thanks to our event host, George Washington University Lisner Auditorium.

Thank you to our restaurant host:

Whirlington Anderson Jeremy Berry

Tommy Caprio Danny Davis

Thomas Freeman Neal Kendall

Sharon Lee Kim Logan

Brandon Lucas Eugenia Marshall

Kimberley McFarland Jackie Murray

Rhonda Nelson Vonda Paige

Denise Pines Shaiya Rahman

Rachel Reynoso Raymond Ross

Vanessa Rumbles Leshelle Sargent

Stephanie Storey Jessita Usher

Darryl Wesson Joe Zefran

 

The Official 

"Afterword"  

Hosted by Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornel West at Busboys and Poets

Thursday, January 12, 2012 10:00 PM - M IDNIGHT

BusboysandPoets(14th&V)

202114thStreetNW,Washington,DC20009

www.busboysandpoets.com

Smiley and West will take the mic and share their thoughts after the live

Remaking America: From Poverty to Prosperity event at George Washington University