FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contacts:
Alicia Gay, Fenton Communications | !"!# $%&'$((( )*!& | a+ay,-enton.com
/asmin 0ami1i, Fenton Communications | !"!# $%&'$((( )!!2 | y3ami1i,-enton.com
TAVIS SMILEY AND JONATHAN DEMME COLLABORATE ON HURRICANE KATRINA
DOCUMENTARY -- 5 YEARS AFTER THE DISASTER
TAVIS SMILEY REPORTS on PBS Examine Ho! Ne! O"#ean Rei$en% Ha&e Re'(i#%
T)ei" Ci%* an$ Ex+#o"e ,)a% S%i## Nee$ %o Be Done
Ma* 5- ./0/- Lo An1e#e 4 For 3is t3ir1 Tavis Smiley Reports 5rimetime s5ecial, Ta6is Smiley
7ill tra6el to 8e7 Orleans to ca5ture t3e moo1 an1 s5irit o- t3e city9s coura+eous resi1ents -i6e
years a-ter t3e le6ees -aile1 in t3e 7a:e o- 0urricane ;atrina. T3e e5iso1e, entitle1 <=een in t3e
Storm Too Lon+,< 5remieres, >uly !", !("( at %5m?25m Central on P=S.
T3is s5ecial comes out o- an on+oin+ colla@oration @et7een Ta6is Smiley an1 Aca1emy A7ar1'
7innin+ 1irector >onat3an Demme t3at @e+an in !((A 73en Smiley aire1 Demme9s
1ocumentary <Ri+3t to Return: 8e7 0ome Mo6ies -rom t3e Lo7er Bt3 Car1< as a 7ee:lon+
series on P=S. Demme 3as s5ent t3e 5ast -i6e years c3roniclin+ t3e 5eo5le o- 8e7 Orleans as
t3ey stru++le to reco6er an1 re@uil1 t3eir city. Smiley no7 returns to inter6ie7 some o- t3e city9s
most resilient resi1ents 73o s3are t3eir ric3 cultural 3erita+e as t3ey re@uil1 sc3ools, c3urc3es
an1 3omes a+ainst enormous o11s.
>oinin+ Smiley in t3is 3our'lon+ s5ecial are:
>aDD musicians Ellis an1 =ran-or1 Marsalis
Actor >o3n Goo1man, lon+'time resi1ent no7 starrin+ in t3e acclaime1 series ETremeF
Actor Cen1ell Pierce, a t3ir1'+eneration nati6e also starrin+ in ETremeF
8e7 Orleans Mayor Mitc3 Lan1rieu
A1@ulra3im an1 ;at3y Geitoun, 73ose e)5eriences 7ere c3ronicle1 in Da6e E++ers9
a7ar1'7innin+ @oo: EGeitounF
0eroic resi1ents inclu1in+ e1ucators, en6ironmentalists, acti6ists, an1 reli+ious lea1ers
EIn many 7ays, 8e7 Orleans remains a li+3tnin+ ro1 -or issues o- race an1 class in t3is
country,F says Ta6is Smiley. ECe see t7o si1es o- t3e city 4 t3e tourist areas t3at 3a6e @een
re1e6elo5e1 7it3 -e1eral -un1s, an1 t3e 1e6astate1 nei+3@or3oo1s 73ere e6ery1ay 5eo5le
3a6e ta:en it u5on t3emsel6es to +et t3eir 3omes re@uilt, t3eir sc3ools reo5ene1, an1 t3eir li6es
@ac:.F
Ta6is Smiley 7ill @e s3ootin+ on location in 8e7 Orleans May "!'"A.
Hisit 5@s.or+?ta6is?re5orts -or more in-ormation.
TAHIS SMILE/ REPORTS is 5ro1uce1 -or P=S @y T3e Smiley Grou5, Inc. ?TS Me1ia, Inc. an1
;CET Los An+eles. E)ecuti6e 5ro1ucer is >aco@a Atlas. Fun1in+ 5ro6i1e1 @y Cor5oration -or
Pu@lic =roa1castin+, P=S an1 Pu@lic Tele6ision Hie7ers.
A'o(% Ta&i Smi#e*
Ta6is Smiley is 3ost o- t3e ni+3tly tal: s3o7 TAHIS SMILE/ on P=S an1 ET3e Ta6is Smiley
S3o7F -rom PRI. Smiley launc3e1 Ame"i2a I AM: The African American Imprint, a 7orl1'class
e)3i@ition cele@ratin+ t3e e)traor1inary im5act o- A-rican American contri@utions to our nation
an1 t3e 7orl1, on >anuary "$, !((B. T3e e)3i@it is on a -our'year, "('city tour. T3e ne)t sto5 is
Cincinnati, O0 on >une "B. Smiley is also t3e aut3or?e1itor o- "& @oo:s, inclu1in+ The New York
Times @estsellers Covenant with Black America an1 What I Know for Sure !y Story of "rowin#
$p in America, an1 3is most recent, Accounta%le: !akin# America As "oo& As Its 'romise.
For more in-ormation, 6isit 777.ta6istal:s.com.
III
A11itional Press Contacts:
Soraya G3eissari, Jnit Pu@licist, TAHIS SMILE/ REPORTS
*!*'B$*'$2$%K s+3eissari,:cet.or+