TAVIS SMILEY TO HOST NATIONWIDE SNEAK PREVIEW OF UPCOMING AMERICA I AM EXHIBITION VIA LIVE WEBCAST ON JUNE 17
Millions of Tom Joyner Morning Show Radio Listeners Offered Unique Opportunity to Participate in a Virtual Journey through Time
LOS ANGELES (June 12, 2008) Tavis Smiley will host "America I AM Live!," the first sneak preview of the upcoming America I AM: The African American Imprint museum exhibition. This nationwide virtual preview will be the first glimpse into the galleries of the traveling museum exhibition that will open in November celebrating 400 years of African American contributions to the nation through artifacts, documents, multimedia, photos and music.
The free Webcast will be live at www.AmericaIAM.org from 8:15-8:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday,
June 17, 2008, with Tavis Smiley moderating simultaneously on the Tom Joyner Morning Show.
Pre-registration is recommended and is available as of today at www.AmericaIAM.org.
Developed in partnership with The Smiley Group, Inc., and organized by Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI) and Cincinnati Museum Center, America I AM: The African American Imprint is a four-year touring exhibition that will tell the story of the nation's African people and their legacies through objects, texts, religion, music, narration and media culled from every period of U.S. history. Featuring more than 150 extraordinary artifacts, the exhibit will present a historical continuum of pivotal moments in courage, conviction and creativity that solidifies the undeniable imprint of African Americans across the nation and around the world. This exhibition is made possible by
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., who serves as its presenting sponsor.
The twelve galleries, each with its own music thematic, plus theater experiences, will convey a journey from struggle to triumph to celebration. The galleries include: America I AM: The African American Imprint, America I AM You, America I AM Your History, America I AM Africa, America I AM Inextricable, America I AM Justice, America I AM The Voice Of Freedom, America I AM Denied, But Not Defeated, America I AM Spirit, America I AM Your Conscience, and America I AM Triumph. The final gallery, "What Is My Imprint?," will allow visitors to record their own thoughts and voices as they exit the exhibition building, thereby creating a living imprint archive that will grow with each museum stop.
"'America I AM Live!' encourages all people to connect in a meaningful way with the foundations of democracy, cultural diversity, exploration and free enterprise, which began when the first Africans arrived in Jamestown," said Tavis Smiley. "By telling the stories of the events of the past, we can help the leaders of the future set the stage for active participation in the democratic process for years to come."
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The "America I AM Live!" Webcast is particularly relevant for teachers and students. While registering for the Webcast at www.AmericaIAM.org, teachers can also maximize their students' participation in the February 2009 "America I AM National Teach-IN!," an "electronic classroom" with 90,000 schools nationwide and more than 50 million students, teachers and administrators. More than 20 lesson plans will be available as resources for teachers of grades K-12 at www.AmericaIAM.org when the exhibit opens in November.
Following the Webcast, a nationwide mobile tour, "America I AM Across America," in support of the exhibition will kick off July 4 during the ESSENCE Music Festival in New Orleans, bringing the America I AM experience to more than 100 communities across the country. A microcosm of the traveling exhibition, the mobile tour will be a multi-sensory experience complete with video, music and visitor interactive opportunities. Visitors along the tour stops at museums, African American landmarks and elementary and high schools will be encouraged to leave their own "imprint" as a recorded video message that will travel with the four-year exhibition. More details and a full schedule will be available soon at www.AmericaIAM.org.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is also the sponsor of Tavis Smiley's commentary on The Tom Joyner
Morning Show.
ABOUT The Smiley Group, Inc.
Founded in 1998 and based in Los Angeles, The Smiley Group, Inc., (TSG) is a communications corporation dedicated to supporting human rights and related empowerment issues. The mission of TSG is to achieve positive results through advocacy and education on issues of concern to African Americans and other people without substantial economic or social standing. TSG is the holding company for Tavis Smiley Presents, Smiley Radio Properties, High Quality Speakers Bureau, TS Media, and SmileyBooks. The Tavis Smiley Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides leadership development training for youth. Tavis Smiley is the host of Tavis Smiley on PBS and The Tavis Smiley Show from PRI and the author/editor of 11 books including the New York Times best sellers Covenant with Black America, What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America, and THE COVENANT In Action. For more information, visit www.tavistalks.com.
ABOUT Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI)
Founded in 2003 by president John Norman and international vice president Andres Numhauser, AEI currently produces the award-winning exhibition "Diana: A Celebration" in association with the Althorp Estate in the United Kingdom, two touring exhibitions dedicated to the treasures of King Tutankhamun and "Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship." Norman and Numhauser have nearly 40 years combined experience in the entertainment and exhibition business, working over the years on such projects as "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit" and "Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes." The company has relationships with the most important museums in the world and has presented traveling exhibitions on four continents. For more information, log onto www.artsandexhibitions.com.
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AEI is part of AEG Exhibitions, an affiliate division of AEG LIVE, a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance and the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world.
AEG LIVE is the nation's second largest concert promotion and touring company with five regional offices. Recently promoted national concert tours have included artists and groups such as Celine Dion's A New Day presented by Chrysler, the Eagles, Usher, Fleetwood Mac, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera among others. Goldenvoice, the company's southern California-based regional promotion division created and operates the award winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.
ABOUT The Tom Joyner Morning Show
The Tom Joyner Morning Show is the centerpiece of REACH Media. With the unprecedented sponsorship and advertiser success of The Tom Joyner Morning Show, REACH Media is making inroads in television, events, and commitments to a growing Internet presence. In addition to the popular Tom Joyner Sky Shows, REACH is also in the process of developing potential television and movie projects, as well as offering a major entertainment event targeted to African-Americans. The Tom Joyner Morning Show reaches more than 8 million listeners each week in more than 115 markets.
ABOUT Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Every week, millions of customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam's Club locations across America or log on to its online store at www.wal-mart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $270 million to communities in the United States. To learn more, visit www.wal-martfacts.com, www.wal-martstores.com, or www.walmartfoundation.org.
