Travis Smiley And Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company Form Partnership

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company forms an exclusive three-year sponsorship partnership with the Tavis Smiley Group.

Under terms of the new partnership, Smiley's exclusive affiliation with Nationwide will include:

• exclusive sponsorship of Smiley's PBS television program
• national sponsorship of the 2009 State of the Black Union event
• sponsorship of an exclusive five-city tour in which Smiley and Nationwide will join forces to promote economic empowerment and financial literacy

"We are pleased to share the journey of empowerment alongside Nationwide. The synergy of the partnership was founded on shared principles of advocacy and service" says Smiley. "The work is important. It's encouraging when corporations commit to demonstrating involvement. Nationwide's interest in these efforts, that were derived from The Covenant, help us to collaborate around issues such as financial literacy, entrepeneurship, accessing jobs, wealth development, and securing our families future."

About Tavis Smiley and the Tavis Smiley Group

Smiley, who started his career as an aide to the late Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley, also offers political commentary twice weekly on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. In addition, he has authored eleven books. Smiley made publishing history when the book he edited, The Covenant with Black America reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. His latest is What I Know For Sure: My Story of Growing up in America (Doubleday). The Smiley Group, Inc. is a communications corporation established in support of human rights and related empowerment issues. TSG serves as the holding company for various enterprises encompassing broadcast and print media, lectures, symposiums and the Internet.