The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Final Year – Two Book Signing Events Oct. 10
(Book Beat press release, Sept. 28, 2014)
 
Best-selling author and award-winning broadcaster Tavis Smiley will be making two stops in Metro Detroit on Friday, October 10 to talk about  his latest book, Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Final Year.
There will be an afternoon event from 3:00-5:30 PM at the Detroit Public Library (5201 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48202) followed by a ticketed evening event from 7:00-8:30PM at the Pavilion at the Southfield Public Library (26300 Evergreen Road, Southfield, Michigan 48076). The Book Beat is co-hosting both events. For more details please call: 248-968-1190.
The Southfield Tavis Smiley talk is a ticketed event. Your purchase of one book from Book Beat allows you and a guest two reserved seats, and allows us to make available these special community events. Books will be available after September 10th. Thank you for your support!
“Tavis Smiley has captured not only the spirit of the movement, but the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. in his last days. We didn’t realize it but he knew he was on his way to Jerusalem, and as much as we tried to deter him, he fought back.” -Andrew Young, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Mayor of Atlanta
See more at: Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Final Year
“A reverential look at Martin Luther King Jr.’s last agonizing year that does not disguise the flaws of a saint…. [A] poignant account of King’s final struggle. An eloquent, emotional journey from darkness to light.”—Kirkus Reviews
“It’s time for a revolution of values in America. Gil Scott Heron was right, the revolution will not be televised. It will also not be tweeted.” –Tavis Smiley on Ferguson & Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in USA Today
In his riveting new book Tavis Smiley recounts the final 365 days of Dr. King’s life, revealing the minister’s trials and tribulations — denunciations by the press, rejection from the president, dismissal by the country’s black middle class and militants, assaults on his character, ideology, and political tactics, to name a few — all of which he had to rise above in order to lead and address the racism, poverty, and militarism that threatened to destroy our democracy. Smiley’s DEATH OF A KING paints a portrait of a leader and visionary in a narrative different from all that have come before. Here is an exceptional glimpse into King’s life — one that adds both nuanc e and gravitas to his legacy as an American hero.
“Tavis Smiley has captured not only the spirit of the movement, but the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. in his last days. We didn’t realize it but he knew he was on his way to Jerusalem, and as much as we tried to deter him, he fought back.”—Andrew Young, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Mayor of Atlanta
Tavis Smiley   was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, on September 13, 1964. He grew up in Bunker Hill, Indiana and attended Indiana University before working for Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. He began his national broadcasting career in the 1990s, appearing on The Tom Joyner Morning Show  and then on his own program on Black Entertainment Television. Since 2000, Smiley has hosted his own shows on public radio and public television, and is also the bestselling author of 16 books. He lives in Los Angeles, California.