Annie Mae Smith has lived a long time.
Set to celebrate her 100th birthday on May 4, Smith’s journey spans a century of life, from a beginning in rural Georgia to her current home in Charlotte.
Having witnessed Jim Crow, President Obama’s election, and everything in between, her life illuminates some of the struggles and triumphs of eras marked by segregation, economic hardship and the continued resilience of Black Americans.
As she approaches 100 years old, Smith shares some of her memories and hopes for the future with QCity Metro.
From Macon to NYC
Annie Mae Smith was born in 1924 in Ailey, Ga. She was the youngest of four siblings. Smith said that her father was a sharecropper and worked “odd jobs” while her mother stayed at home, tending to their family’s needs.
She was raised on a small farm with common animals such as pigs, goats, and mules. Growing up, she said she remembers not having to leave the small town very often because, at the time, it had everything she needed.
Although the Smith family lived without electricity or running water, she spoke of her childhood fondly, saying it was marked by “simple” pleasures. Smith told QCity Metro she was unaware that her family was impoverished because her parents ensured she and her siblings never went without.
Smith recalled that she and her siblings attended Hornes Chapel School, which had kindergarten through 12th grade. There, Smith played basketball, something less common for girls then.
She said Sundays were also memorable to Smith, as they were a special time for the family. They were marked by long walks to church and delicious slices of pound cake alongside homemade ice cream churned by her father.
She also told QCity Metro that despite living in a segregated Georgia, she has few negative childhood experiences with white children.
“Once in a while, you would meet a country white kid who was friendly because they were poor just like we was, and we was all one,” Smith said. “But it was the ones that had a little more [money] that was real prejudice.”
At 18, she left her hometown to visit her older sister in Savannah, Ga, who had gotten married and moved away.
To Smith, Savannah was an exciting city filled with new opportunities. So she stayed.
“Savannah was a beautiful city. The people were nice, the restaurants were nice, and the stores were bigger,” Smith said.
There, she lived with her sister and worked at a restaurant where she said she made about $15 a week.
When Smith was around 20 years old, on her way back to Savannah from a trip visiting relatives out of state, she met Leroy Smith, a WW II soldier she would later marry.
“When I got ready to get on the train, he wrote down his name and rank on [a] postcard,” Smith said of meeting her late husband. “I gave him my name and my address. When I got home, I had a postcard from him. He wanted to come out and see me.”
The two married and relocated to New York, where they raised five children.
Then vs. now
Smith now lives in Charlotte, where she has been with her daughter and son for the last three years. When she isn’t out shopping at Home Goods, one of her favorite stores, she spends time keeping up with local news, completing word circles and watching old TV shows with the family’s cat sitting on her lap.
She often thinks about politics, too.
With the upcoming election, Smith reflected on the importance of voting and what it was like when she first approached voting age.
“Black people wasn’t in politics,” Smith said. “I remember them coming around to give my father something to sign, but I don’t know how they voted. I don’t remember them going to the polls.”
Smith lived through a time when voting was a complicated — and often dangerous– process for Black people to see the first Black president in office.
“I was happy to see Obama get elected. Him and his wife are good people,” Smith said, noting that she would vote for Michelle Obama, too, if the option ever presented itself. “I would’ve been happy to see Martin Luther King get elected into office, and I want to continue seeing our people get elected.”
Smith said having Black people in office is essential because of their firsthand understanding of the needs and experiences of other Black Americans.
Looking ahead
Smith’s family is planning a 100th birthday for her, and she said she’s looking forward to it.
“I just thank God that I was alive to see it,” Smith said about turning 100 years old. “God has been good to me over the years, and I can’t complain.”
Happy Birthday to Mrs. Annie Mae Smith and many,many more. My mom’s family was from Georgia. You also remind me of her mom who was my grandmother. She loved cats also. My grandmother was my buddy. Have some fun. LJ Steele