What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America [Paperback]

From the man who catapulted theCovenant with BlackAmerica to number one on theNew York Timesbestseller list comes a searing memoir of poverty, ambition, pain and atonment.

Tavis Smiley grew up in a family of thirteen in rural Indian, where money was scarce and the sight of other black faces even scarcer. Always an outsider because of his race, economic background, and Pentecostal religious beliefs, he was sustained by his family’s love. But one day his world was shattered when his father brutally beat him, sending him to the hospital and then into foster care for a period of time. InWhat I Know for Sure, Smiley recounts how he overcame his painful history and became one of America’s most popular media figures.“Engaging and compelling. . . . A down-home tale of how one survives, learns and grows in a discordant world into something bigger and better.” —Los Angeles Times“A remarkable memoir about one of America’s most popular media figures.” —Ebony“Astounding.”—Philadelphia Inquirer“Revealing. . . . May surprise even those fans who have followed his career for years.” —EssenceTavis Smiley is the host of PBS's The Tavis Smiley Show. He also appears as a regular commentator on Tom Joyner's top-rated ABC radio show. He is the author of such bestsellers asHard Left,Doing What's Right,How to Make Black America Better, andKeeping the Faith.David Ritz has written biographies of, among others, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and B. B. King. His latest book,Messengers: Portraits of African American Ministers, was published in 2006.Gulfport to GothamWhen I listen to Stevie Wonder's brilliant song about New York City, "Living for the City," my mind goes back to Mama. You'll remember that in the song, when the singing stops, a small drama begins: A Mississippi native taklcr