Every day this month, the Center for Black Educator Development, in partnership with Education Post and Philly’s 7th Ward, will highlight a Black Educator Hall of Famer.
But, don’t forget, e’ry month is Black History Month and February is just the Blackest. All year are ongoing opportunities to learn and teach and the colossal impact Black educators have had on society.
Today, our featured Black educator is Antonio Maceo Smith.
Antonio Maceo Smith was born in Texarkana, Texas on April 16, 1903. He attended public schools in Texarkana; attending the segregated schools there. After graduating from the local public schools, Smith attended and graduated from Fisk University with his bachelor’s degree in 1924 and from New York University in 1928 with his MBA. He also pursued additional graduate studies in economics and business law classes at Columbia University.
Smith was an entrepreneur, owning an advertising agency in New York City and a real estate company in Texarkana. But in 1932 he chose to move to Dallas. He went to work for the Dallas Independent School District where he taught business administration. While teaching, Smith served as publisher of the Dallas Express, a Black newspaper in Dallas that began in 1893. In 1933, Smith became the first executive secretary of the Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce, which had been in existence since the days of freedmen after the Civil War.
The Chamber engaged in civil rights work including paying poll taxes so Black people could vote in elections. Under the leadership of Smith, the Chamber helped to organize Black people to register them to vote. Additionally, the Chamber engaged itself in anti-segregation efforts. Smith specifically worked closely with the NAACP in Smith v. Allwright and Sweatt v. Painter.
Smith was likely inspired by an unfortunate event, concerning the Texas Centennial. Smith sought funding for the Hall of Negro Life exhibition depicting Black people’s history in Texas, however, Smith was rebuffed when it was found that he was supporting a Black judge in a local election. State leaders informed him that he would not get funding for his project if he did not support a different candidate.
Smith did not waver in his support for the Black judge funding for his project depicting the history of achievements of Black people in Texas, he was resolute to continue doing the work of supporting and uplifting Black people. This is the work that Black people, namely Black educators, must be engaged in; educating Black youth and putting education into action. This is what Smith was all about and we ought to follow his example.
Antonio Maceo Smith; a member of the Black Educator Hall of Fame.
For more information on Antonio Maceo Smith, visit the following site.
