Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Wise Smith.
Hi Christian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in the justice system. I saw my mother struggle with a mental health disability and get arrested several times before she lost custody of me. My Uncle Steve was sentenced to life in prison for murder. I witnessed my grandmother stripped down to her underwear and handcuffed. Ultimately, my family and I experienced several traumatic encounters with law enforcement and the justice system during my childhood.
Before finishing high school, I saw several family members and friends destroyed by murder, violence, drugs, and other crimes. At 17, I was kicked out of school. Headed down a path leading straight to a jail cell, William Dean, a Black police officer, took an interest in helping me. Because of his mentoring and support, I learned that I was capable of changing my path. Determined to break the negative cycles of my upbringing, I was able to turn my pain and tragedy into triumph, becoming the first in my family to graduate from college, earning my Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Juris Doctor degrees. I’ve been an attorney since 2012.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road wasn’t smooth at all. After barely finishing high school, I only got accepted into one college, Central State University, an HBCU in Ohio. I took out loans and got a work-study job to for pay tuition. I did well enough to transfer to Ohio University in the spring of my Freshman year. I attempted to walk on to the football team in hopes of earning a scholarship. After that didn’t pan out, I worked as a Resident Advisor on campus to make ends meet. OU is a PWI, and I had my share of discouraging racial encounters. My mother also continued to have her struggles and ended up in custody for over a month during my Junior year.
Senior year, I borrowed a friend’s car and drove 9 hours from OU to Atlanta. I needed an internship at a hospital to complete my Healthcare Administration degree, and I wanted to do it at Grady in Atlanta. After several unanswered phone calls and emails, I jumped in the car and just showed up at Grady on March 11, 2005. I arrived to police cars and news vans everywhere. I was stopped by police in full riot gear with AR-15s pointed in my face. They were looking for Brian Nichols, who’d just killed a Judge, a court reporter, and a sheriff deputy. I made my way inside to find out there still wasn’t an internship for me and that a meeting was about to start, so I needed to leave. Then, the phone rang. Sarah Killian, the Director of Patient Care and Women’s Health, called to cancel the meeting. She also gave me an internship. That’s how I got my start in Atlanta.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an attorney, founder of a nonprofit organization to combat police brutality and a children’s book author. When I ran for Fulton County District Attorney, I learned that many people believed their vote didn’t matter. I wanted to do something to eliminate the negative thinking that people have about whether their vote can make a difference. The answer: our kids, the next generation. By teaching our children now about the superpower of voting with my new book, they’ll grow up knowing that their votes will matter one day soon! I also wanted to do more than just tell them about voting, so the book is interactive. Young readers learn the voting process in a simple way by completing a voter registration card and casting a ballot for their favorite color! The book is called WISEUP Adventure Series: Chris & Key Go Vote!
After serving as a prosecutor for over seven years, I also founded the National Social Justice Alliance (NSJA), a nonprofit organization to reform the criminal justice system by focusing on local prosecutors instead of police agencies. Prosecutors are the gatekeepers of our local justice systems and are responsible for holding everyone, including police officers, responsible for the crimes they commit. The 2020 police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the aftermath of protests for equality, justice and calls for police reform highlight the need for prosecutors to step up. Together, the gatekeepers of the system can finally end police brutality and ensure that equality and justice are the standard for everyone.
Can you talk about how you think about risk?
I believe that faith is when you jump, then the net appears. I wouldn’t be where I am today without taking some pretty big risks. On one of the previous pages, I told the story about just showing up in Atlanta from Ohio to get an internship in 2005. When I started law school in 2008, I’d just had my first child. I barley had enough money to get from Georgia to Michigan. I didn’t know how I was going to pay for rent, diapers, or books. All I had was faith, the belief that I was supposed to be an attorney. I’ve been an attorney now for eight years.
I took another big risk when I ran for Fulton County District Attorney in 2020. I faced two attorneys who were much older and had more experience and name recognition. My platform was also the most progressive approach ever seen before in Georgia. Although I didn’t get elected, nearly 40,000 people voted for me. It showed me that we’re ready to have conversations about being more progressive in the South. It also led to me starting a nonprofit to help end police brutality and writing a children’s book to show our kids how to vote. The book has only been out for a few months and is already in elementary schools in Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, and Michigan.
Thank you VoyageATL for this amazing opportunity. The spotlight that you provide to the people of Atlanta is significant, respected, and much appreciated. Much love. WISEUP.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@christianwisesmith.com
- Website: christianwisesmith.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianwisesmith/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=12308567
- Twitter: @chriswisesmith
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVvCOGbVHOY
- Other: https://www.nsja.org/
