Media personality Tavis Smiley to host a listening experience in honor of Dr. Cornel West’s first infusion album on Hidden Beach Recordings, Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations.

Los Angeles, Dec. 11, 2007 — Tavis Smiley, Allstate, and Hidden Beach Recordings will host a black carpet affair featuring renowned professor Dr. Cornel West in his latest novel approach at empowering our community through word and song on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007.

This listening experience, titled “Never Forget,” (appropriately named after Dr. West’s most recent album, Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations) will take place from 7:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. at Element, 1642 N. Las Palmas, Los Angeles, CA 90028. The black carpet proceedings will commence promptly at 7:30 p.m., and will showcase a special performance by both Dr. West and Smiley from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Dr. West is elated to share with his friends and followers that he has found a new record label home at Hidden Beach Recordings (HBR), an independent label with commitment to cultivate and distribute inspiring, spiritually-edifying soul music.

This occasion will allow attendees to experience Dr. Cornel West’s vision first hand as they sample various songs and excerpts from Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations. Dr. West’s album, which was released via Hidden Beach on August 14th of this year, is a stimulating infusion of soul, hip hop, and socio-political dialogue. The album includes collaborations with musical moguls such as Prince, Andre 3000, Jill Scott, Talib Kweli, Black Thought and many more. Dr. West, author of the American classic Race Matters, has taken this opportunity to highlight the African American musical imprint on American history while tactfully empowering our youth to help affect change in our underserved communities! “I think the younger generation, you see, they look at me and they say, ‘What is this old brother doing in hip-hop?’ And I say, ‘Well, I am the Curtis Mayfield, Stax, Motown, Philly sound version of hip-hop.’ So I consider myself in the hip-hop community.”

Admission for the event is free for individuals who RSVP at http://www.youthtoleaders.org/rsvp while space is available. A $20 donation will be requested at the door the day of the event for attendees who did not RSVP.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Tavis Smiley Foundation, a non-profit Smiley founded to provide leadership training and development for youth ages 13-18. To date more than 6,000 teens have participated in the foundation’s Youth to Leaders training workshops and conferences.

ABOUT DR. CORNEL WEST:
One of America’s most provocative public intellectuals, Cornel West has been a champion for racial justice since childhood. His writing, speaking, and teaching weave together the traditions of the Black Baptist Church, progressive politics, and jazz. The New York Times has praised his “ferocious moral vision.” Currently the class of 1943 Professor at Princeton University, Dr. West has also taught at Union Theological Seminary, Yale, Harvard, and the University of Paris. Dr. West was an influential force in developing the storyline for the popular Matrix movie trilogy and has served as its official spokesperson, as well as playing a recurring role in the final two films.

ABOUT TAVIS SMILEY FOUNDATION:
The Tavis Smiley Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by Tavis Smiley to enlighten, encourage, and empower youth by providing leadership skills that will promote and enhance the quality of life for their lives, their community and the world. Since its inception, more than 6,000 youth have participated in the foundation’s leadership workshops and conferences. The foundation is based in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.youthtoleaders.org.

ABOUT ALLSTATE:
The Allstate Corporation is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer. A Fortune 100 company, with $157.5 billion in assets, Allstate sells 13 major lines of insurance, including auto, property, life and commercial. Allstate also offers retirement and investment products and banking services. Allstate is widely known through the “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®” slogan.