People: Jessie Carney Smith
JESSIE CARNEY SMITH: HONORING BLACK WOMEN
It took her 20 years to finish, but the task was worth it. Jessie Carney Smith, M.A. '56, librarian at Fisk University, Nashville, TN, spent two decades amassing information on important black women from colonial days to the present. The result is a gargantuan tome-- Notable Black American Women (Gale Research, 1991)--that contains 500 biographies, weighs 6 pounds and costs $75. 'These are women from all walks of life who have struggled in ways that I never knew,' she says. 'They fought for the rights of families, issues such as voting, employment, housing--the same issues we face today.'
They range from current stars Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey to Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, a noted culinary anthropologist.
Smith was consumed by her mission, working at her home computer from 4 a.m. until 6 a.m., then again after her regular job hours--taking time out only for church and exercise. 'It was definitely a labor of love, not only for me, but for the more than 200 contributors who were not paid,' says Jessie. 'Fortunately,' she adds, 'It has been well received by libraries, organizations and individuals because it answers so many questions. Black history has been re-written because so many black women had been neglected, even by black historians.'
A native of Greensboro, NC, Jessie came to MSU for her master's degree and 'really enjoyed the school, the classes and the campus.' After completing her doctorate at the University of Illinois, she joined Fisk University in 1965.
Would she be interested in writing a similar tome about black men? 'They had their chance,' she laughs. 'Seriously, that would be useful. I'm fascinated by biographies and would find that interesting. However, it would have to wait behind my second volume on black women.'
