Those in attendance included Charlie Rose; actress Ruby Dee; dancer Carmen de Lavallade; author Walter Mosley; author Terry McMillan; Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo; dancer Judith Jamison; chairman and founder of Essence Communications Inc., Edward Lewis 

Tavis Smiley, founder and publisher of SmileyBooks, hosted a reception October 2, 2007, in New York City to introduce his new company president, Cheryl Woodruff, and to celebrate his company’s newly acquired list of authors, including Iyanla Vanzant, Cornel West, Tom Burrell, and Eleanor Hinton Hoytt of the National Black Women’s Health Imperative.In the past decade, Mr. Smiley’s unique contributions have transformed the American media landscape, placing his remarkable imprint on television, radio, print, Internet, and digital media.

This year, Smiley moderated the historic All- American Presidential Forums broadcast live on PBS. He has also been the driving force behind The Covenant with Black America. President Bill Clinton, in his #1 New York Times bestseller Giving, waxes enthusiastically: "I can't begin to do justice to The Covenant movement, to the power of its inspiration, instruction, and examples....I believe Smiley has given us a model for how to organize other groups with common challenges for action in America and across the world...." Smiley has also been a leader in nationwide community outreach, sponsoring on-going community forums, town hall meetings and symposiums, and a national college program called the Talented Tenth HBCU Tour.

Smiley has written and edited a dozen books that reflect his life and his vision for America. As Bob Herbert wrote in his New York Times column, “[Tavis Smiley] is trying to do nothing less than generate a movement among black Americans that will ‘help make all of America better.’”

A foray into book publishing was a natural extension of the Tavis Smiley brand. In early 2004, SmileyBooks was formed in a partnership with Hay House. Like each of Smiley’s endeavors, his book company came with a mission—“to empower our readers to achieve personal fulfillment and to become agents of change through the principles of love and service.” Initially, the expectation was for SmileyBooks to publish titles written and inspired solely by Tavis Smiley, but the company has since expanded its vision, anchored in part by its 2007 New York Times bestseller, The Covenant in Action. This companion volume to the #1 New York Times bestseller The Covenant with Black America serves as a springboard for the company’s ambitious plan to publish and support books by major authors on topics that will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. Offerings on the upcoming list range from works by perennial New York Times bestsellers to first-time authors.

Smiley’s established media acumen as a broadcaster, philanthropist, and intergenerational leader has helped to raise the bar for a national dialogue in America. The company will be enriched by Smiley’s love for books, his passion for service, and his unique ability to inspire audiences to take a stand and get to work. In partnership with Hay House, SmileyBooks will be aggressively promoted and marketed on the Internet, through the airwaves, to book clubs, in blogs, by word of mouth, and through digital outlets.

SmileyBooks is a co-publishing venture with Hay House, an international leader in self-help and motivational publishing, based in Carlsbad, California. Hay House is the publisher of New York Times bestselling authors Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, Sylvia Browne, Suze Orman, Tavis Smiley, and Immaculée Ilibagiza. SmileyBooks titles will be published in hardcover, trade paperback, and digital media. SmileyBooks is based in New York City.

Laurence Pinckney Events, www.zenbizness.com,  produced the event and the photos are provided by photographer Jefry Andres Wright, www.jefryandreswright.com