JACKSON, Miss. — A Black man in Mississippi, born on a plantation 99 years ago, was happy to vote in this year’s election.
Robert H. Smith Sr. was born May 9, 1921, the son of a sharecropper in Rayville, Louisiana, CNN reported. Smith served in the Army during World War II and was a college professor at historically Black colleges and universities, the network reported.
Ten days ago, Smith stood in line in Jackson, Mississippi, to drop off his ballot at the Hinds County Courthouse. He submitted his absentee ballot while wearing a face mask and an “I Voted” sticker, ABC News reported.
“I remember when I couldn’t vote,” Smith told the network.
99-year-old Robert H. Smith Sr. (Ph.D. '73), @floridastate alumnus and former @FAMU_1887 Professor, submitted his absentee ballot this week with a reminder that "Voting is an experience that every American citizen should have."
— FSU Alumni Assoc. (@FSUAlumni) November 3, 2020
Read his amazing story now: https://t.co/ePUl2AucZo
When he turned 21 in 1942, Smith said he was not allowed to register in Louisiana, CNN reported. He cast his first ballot in 1946 after he returned from World War II.
Smith earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern University (now Southern University and A&M College) in Baton Rouge, and his master’s degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After earning his Ph.D., Smith was hired as a professor at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, where he worked for 20 years.
Smith later became dean at Jackson State University and Tougaloo College in Mississippi before retiring in 2002, CNN reported.
Smith told ABC News that while he was pursuing a master’s degree, Black students could not eat at certain dining centers.
Although the 15th Amendment legally granted Black men the right to vote in February 1870, discriminatory voting practices in many states meant they were effectively blocked from voting until the Voting Rights Act was enacted in 1965.
“I lived through the whole process of gaining the ballot, so being able to participate was satisfying for me,” Smith told CNN.
Smith said he decided to cast his ballot early after heeding the advice of his son. Although the line was long, Smith said it was worth the wait.
“It was very pleasing to see so many people out to vote,” Smith told CNN. “And to be a part of the excitement that was going on around me.”
Cox Media Group
