Downtown Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Maxine Atkins Smith
— 1929-2013 —
Denied admission to Memphis State University in 1957, she began a life-long battle against racial discrimination, and she worked for the political empowerment of African Americans. As executive secretary of the Memphis Branch of the NAACP from 1962 to 1995, she organized marches, sit-ins of public facilities, and boycotts of stores and restaurants. Under her leadership, the organization received the Thalheimer Award as the most outstanding branch in the country for 31 years
The NAACP was nonpartisan and it was instrumental in increasing Black voter registration and organizing get-out-the-vote campaigns. Personally, as a member of Shelby County Democratic Club and the Tennessee Voters Council, she helped progressive White and African-Americans win election to local, state and national public offices.
She joined the 1963 March on Washington, served on the coordinating committee of the 1968 Sanitation Strike, and led a series of Black Monday demonstrations against the Memphis School Board in 1969. Ironically, she became the first Black person elected to the school board in 1971, serving for 24 years and as board president for two terms. In 1994 the governor appointed her to the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Recipient of over 160 awards and three honorary degrees, she was the subject of a television documentary, Maxine, and a biography, Maxine Smith's Unwilling Pupils: Lessons Learned in Memphis's Civil Rights Classrooms. Until her death on April 26, 2013, she had a profound impact on education and the civil rights struggle in Memphis.
Erected 2022 by Memphis Suffrage Monument Committee.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Civil Rights • Education • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is October 31, 1929.
Location. 35° 8.74′ N, 90° 3.309′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in Downtown Memphis. Located on a terrace behind the The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 N Front St, Memphis TN 38103, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Charl Ormond Williams (here, next to this marker); Frances Grant Loring (here, next to this marker); Dorothy "Happy" Snowden Jones (here, next to this marker); Joseph Hanover (here, next to this marker); Minerva J. Johnican (a few steps from this marker); Equality Trailblazers (a few steps from this marker); Lide Smith Meriwether (a few steps from this marker); Lulu Colyar Reese (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Equality Trailblazers Marker
Also see . . .
1. Maxine A. Smith NAACP Collection, Memphis Public Library. (Submitted on September 3, 2022, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.)
2. Maxine & Vasco Smith Learn about Maxine & Vasco Smith, prominent Memphis civil rights activists. Facing History and Ourselves (Submitted on September 3, 2022, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 31, 2022, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 185 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 31, 2022, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. 2. submitted on September 3, 2022, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide shot of the marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?