Ciara Smith, who had been serving as vice mayor of Anniston, Alabama, is making history. Smith, now elected as mayor, is the youngest person to be elected at age 26, WBRC reported. She is also the first Black woman to be elected to the post of mayor.
Spelman College alumna served as vice mayor for five years and was appointed as mayor in May after the resignation of Jack Draper. She had to run for election this month and faced four challengers in order to be elected to a full, four-year-term, per the Anniston Star. In the election, she got over half the votes, thus avoiding a runoff.
After her historic appointment, Smith said she is proud of breaking barriers, but she also doesn’t want her achievements to be seen as something shocking. In an article from Jacksonville State University, where she got her Master’s degree, Smith said she may be “the one who shattered the glass ceiling, but there were some people who beat on it for me to get here.”
What Ciara Smith says about becoming mayor
“There are people who did not make it to this point,” Smith added. “So, I want to acknowledge that, yes, I am a woman, and yes, I’m the youngest, but I am also extremely knowledgeable and extremely qualified. It’s an honorable feeling, but there’s also the feeling that this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”
She says the official election doesn’t feel much different.
“At this stage, I don’t feel the difference because this is the work that I love to do,” she said. “This is the work that I have been doing continuously.”
How did Ciara Smith ascend to her historic position as mayor of Anniston?
Smith first worked in the City of Anniston’s Financial Department at age 16. A year later, she graduated from Anniston High School and started attending Spelman College, where she campaigned for former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Smith also interned for Congressman Hank Johnson, who nominated her to join the Congressional Black Caucus Institute training boot camp in Washington, D.C., and help her expand her network. In 2020, Smith became a Council member for the 3rd Ward, becoming the youngest elected official in the history of Anniston. At age 21, Smith rose to her role as vice mayor.
“I have always had to fight for my place, not just in this capacity, but my entire life,” Smith told Jacksonville State University. “This has been a learning experience for me, and what I tell young people – all people, really – is, if you don’t like something, and you don’t like the way that it’s headed, position yourself to make it better.”
