He need not ‘ballyhoo’ a ‘black agenda’ but solving problems that affect African-Americans would strengthen the US as a whole Over the past week, the recording of an on-air argument between Reverend Al Sharpton, the prominent civil rights leader, and Tavis Smiley, a well-known African-American media personality, has been circulating in the black US media. Sharpton and Smiley’s public fight has brought to the fore a significant issue that has been emerging as a key point of discussion over the past year: whether or not President Obama is doing enough for black people. Smiley, who has been highly critical of President Obama for quite some time, believes that the president is not doing enough for African-Americans and that African-American leaders are giving him “a pass” for not doing so