Friday, May 25, 2007

Letter to Tavis Smiley from Fahizah Alim, 2007

Dear Tavis

Congratulations on your successful annual State of Black America forum earlier this month. I really wanted to be there in person. I had hoped to travel to Virginia with Mrs. West, but I was scheduled to take my son to visit Morehouse the next week and had too much on my plate. So I'll have to be content to watch you at 1 a.m.(yes 1 a.m) on our local PBS station.

I am writing this letter to introduce you to author Marvin X as a noteworthy guest on your talk shows. He has been around a long time writing provocative, insightful and brilliant prose, poetry and essays. So long infact, that he has been dubbed the "Father of American Muslim Literature." He also was one of the founders of the Black Arts Movement along with Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez and Nikki Giovanni, and has been writing important books for 40 years. Cornel calls him "Marvelous Marvin X."

He is a brother from the Academy and The Streets, walking as one politician said "through the muck and mire of hell and came out clean as white fish and black as coal."
His writings are cathartic and healing, targeting issues that cross the spectrum of the African American experience. I have profiled him before and he is a great interview.

We have already sent you some of his books. I hope that you see what I see.

Peace and Blessings

Fahizah Alim

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