Julianne Malveaux, president of Bennett College in Greensboro, is scheduled to be one of several panelists at a gathering called by media personality Tavis Smiley to push for a national “black agenda.”

Smiley, who hosts a BPS talk show, has emerged as one of President Obama’s most outspoken critics in the black community, alleging that the Obama administration has failed to develop a national agenda to address the needs of African Americans.

Others on the panel, scheduled for March 20 at Chicago State University, include: advertising pioneer Tom Burrell, professors Michael Eric Dyson and Cornel West, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Smiley told the Associated Press that the gathering was motivated by what he called recent statements from some black leaders downplaying the need for President Barack Obama to specifically help African-Americans.

“I was compelled to do it because of this debate,” he was quote as saying.

Smiley recently sparred with the Rev. Al Sharpton concerning the issue, and during a visit to Charlotte during CIAA week, comedian and radio host Steve Harvey joined the fray.

Two weeks ago, Smiley announced that he was ending his State of the Black Union conference after 10 years, saying that black issues were now being addressed elsewhere.

Smiley has been critical of Obama since 2008, when candidate Obama declined to attend Smiley’s Black Union event during the presidential campaign.

“This is not about Obama. It’s about us,” the AP quoted Smiley as saying.
 

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