Check Out Anthony Smith’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Smith.

Hi Anthony, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
I’m a native of Birmingham, AL. I was a ’70s child. Came of age in the 80s and 90s. I raised in a black working-class family in a predominantly black neighborhood. Early on, I developed an insatiable curiosity about the world. I loved music, books, movies, and good stories. I saw a lot of violence growing up in the home and in my neighborhood. I remember what my community looked like pre-crack epidemic and afterwards. But I remember a vibrant and loving community. My mom taught me to be a critical thinker. To never accept someone else’s orthodoxy without digging beneath the surface. I joined the U.S. Navy right out of high school I went to the submarine force. I was stationed on a nuclear-powered ballistic submarine on the west coast near Seattle, WA. When I departed from the Navy, I went to college to study history, philosophy, and religious studies. I became a minister in a church. Moved to Charlotte, NC, in the late 90s. I moved to Salisbury, NC, years later, where I became a pastor of a church, an author, activist, poet, and now a city council member with the city of Salisbury, NC. I am a father of six, grandfather of six and married to a wonderful woman, Toni Cook-Smith. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I grew up in a domestic violence situation as a child. It was very traumatic. It is something that still haunts me to this day. On the bright side, my father, who was the main perpetrator of violence in my home, eventually reconciled with my mom and my siblings. He became the best grandad ever. My children remember him as a patron saint. But the scars still remain. In my mid-30s, I went through a terrible divorce. It was a major setback in my life, a broken heart. It impacted many things I was doing at the speaking circuit, publishing, and community organizing. It all came to a halt for several years until I met my second wife, Toni. During the height of the COVID pandemic, I had a heart attack and double bypass surgery on my heart. It was a very scary time as I did not know I would survive. I survived, obviously, but it was a major milestone and turning point in my story. I have a son with mental illness and is chronically homeless. This has been quite a journey to be present and come alongside him. Being a political leader in this current cultural moment has been quite a challenge. Navigating the chasm of political culture wars while building consensus with people I disagree with to move my city forward has been a good challenge. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently a federal employee and an elected official with the city of Salisbury (city council member). Being a politician has been an eye-opening experience. Learning how to build consensus and cultivate a shared vision with my colleagues has been a beautiful adventure. As a politician, you see a much bigger picture. You see all the moving parts of city government that the average citizen does not see. My job as a city council member is to create policy, decide land use and zoning issues, develop the city’s budget, and develop/cast a vision for the city with the mayor and other city council members. All of our city council members and our mayor bring their own unique bent, perspectives, and experiences to this work. I bring to this work my experience as a pastor and community organizer-activist. I center my decision-making on the everyday realities of struggling working families. 

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
Most people do not have ill intentions in their everyday strivings. Most people just want to survive and live decent lives. I’ve learned that it is best to give people a benefit of doubt, to listen to each other, find common ground, and develop a shared vision forward. The overall important lesson is that we need each other. We all need each other if we are going to make our communities the best place possible to live. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @postmodernegro
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/anthony.smith.372