Through a combination of radio and television programming, Tavis Smiley has become one of the most powerful African American political figures of our times. Some sources even rank him second only to Oprah Winfrey, so when Mr. Smiley made the Tavis Smiley Reports episode Too Important to Fail and decides to tackle an issue like the statistically significant dropout rates of African American teenage males, his input on the subject matter ought to be taken as a serious voice in the conversation. However, you also have to account for his tendency to drag cries of racism into arguments about social, governmental, and cultural failings. Tavis Smileys hour-long look into how certain schools have addressed and succeeded in overcoming the high dropout rate of African American teenage males has some great points, but Smiley’s highly biased approach sees him leading conversations in directions that don’t serve the topic as much as they further his own personal agenda.
The plight of the public school system has been covered a lot lately with Waiting for Superman as the best overall look at where it’s failed and how changes have helped to right the sinking ship. Too Important to Fail narrows that perspective to look only at the charter and promise schools created to help African-American males avoid the statistically probable fate of dropping out. That’s an important part of the equation, but it’s not the one Tavis wants to focus on most. While Too Important to Fail could proffer up multiple possibilities as to the reason young African-American boys have a hard time in school, it’s clear that Tavis wants to look no further than an inherent bias in the system, in how it measures success and the people working within it, and decides to ignore the cultural influences that the youths of that community takes in daily: rappers, sports stars, community leaders. Tavis gives lip service to the effect having African-American men as teachers has on the kids, but it arises as a criticism of the boys learning in a system staffed largely of white women.
There’s certainly a bias in the educational system that needs to be addressed, but Tavis’s own bias on the subject doesn’t help push the conversation forward, it just polarizes the sides involved.
DVD Bonus Features
None.
"Tavis Smiley Reports: Too Important to Fail" is on sale November 22, 2011 and is not rated. Documentary. Directed by Allan Palmer. Written by Jacoba Atlas. Starring Tavis Smiley.
