PRECURSOR TO TAVIS SMILEY'S "MISEDUCATION OF BLACK BOYS"

As the school year gets underway, broadcaster Tavis Smiley tackles the subject of education with a new PBS primetime special, an interactive website, and a companion e-book that will examine an undeclared crisis in America—the staggering dropout rate among young black males. Smiley’s yearlong initiative kicks off with the premiere of the fifth episode of TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS, titled “Too Important to Fail,” on Tuesday, September 13, 2011, 8:00-9:00 p.m. (EDT) on PBS (check local listings). This report investigates the root cause of this calamity and what can be done to reverse it.