Tavis Smiley Looking For Personal Stories/Memorabilia From MLK's 1967 Riverside Speech For PBS Primetime Special

Second Tavis Smiley Reports To Focus On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence" Speech

Submit Info at www.tavistalks.com/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-beyond-vietnam

PBS host Tavis Smiley is looking for personal stories, photos and/or news articles relating to Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic speech "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" in connection with TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS, a series of four hour-long PBS primetime specials to air throughout 2010.

Anyone with personal experiences, eyewitness accounts or articles of interest can visit www.tavistalks.com/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-beyond-vietnam to submit their information no later than January 29, 2010.

Submissions are being solicited for the second TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS, to premiere Wednesday, March 31, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on PBS, which will delve into Dr. King's "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech. Dr. King delivered the speech on April 4, 1967, at Riverside Church in New York City, exactly one-year prior to the date of his assassination. It is considered pivotal but often under-appreciated in that King challenged the morality of the Vietnam conflict and urged a national discussion about the role of America in the world. Smiley will examine the context of Dr. King's words on liberty, responsibility and freedom against the backdrop of the fight for civil rights and an increasingly unpopular war, and examine the implications of his words today, particularly in light of President Obama's decision to increase U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

See Tavis' request: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1WPNSgltvI

In addition to TAVIS SMILEY, the award-winning late-night program, Tavis will go on the road with TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS to examine some of the country's defining moments through those who have helped to shape history - from going behind the scenes with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the streets of New Orleans with director Jonathan Demme to mark Hurricane Katrina's 5th anniversary.

The first special, TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS "One on One With Hillary Clinton," premieres on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT on PBS and features an incisive look at the Secretary of State's role as the chief diplomat for the U.S.

TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS is produced for PBS by The Smiley Group, Inc./TS Media, Inc. and KCET Los Angeles. Executive producer is Jacoba Atlas. Funding provided by Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS and Public Television Viewers.