| Summary: | Civil rights activist Maxine Smith was born on October 31, 1929, in Memphis, Tennessee. She received her B.A. degree from Spelman College and her M.S. degree from Middlebury College. Smith joined the NAACP and became executive secretary of the local chapter in 1962. She fought for civil rights and school integration, organizing lawsuits, sit-ins, and marches, including the "Black Monday" student boycotts. Smith also served on the coordinating committee for the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers' strike. In 1971, Smith won election to the Memphis Board of Education, a position which she held until her retirement in 1995. In 1978, Smith helped start the political career of the first elected African American Mayor of Memphis, W. W. Herenton. Smith received more than 160 awards, including the NAACP Leadership Award. She served as a member of the board of directors for The National Civil Rights Museum and many other civic organizations. Smith passed away on April 26, 2013, at age 83.
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