HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (TENNESSEE VALLEY LIVING) - A tragic event during her childhood led to one woman pursuing a mission of bringing justice to others in their time of need. In this edition of ‘Women of True Grit,’ host Edie Hand shines a spotlight on the backstory of Carole Smitherman.
Smitherman grew up in Birmingham and attended 16th Street Baptist Church, where she became best friends with Denise McNair. Ultimately, McNair would become one of the four victims of the 16th Street Church Bombing in 1963. Smitherman had just seen her days before the tragic event.
While attending the funeral service, she witnessed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. take the pulpit to speak. At just 12 years old, she was so profoundly moved by his speech that she vowed to become a lawyer one day, so she could help create the change she wanted to see in her community.
Watch the whole segment for the rest of Smitherman’s journey of becoming one of the first Black deputy district attorneys in the state of Alabama and further impacting her community through law over the following years.
You can find more inspiring stories from Edie Hand on her website, linked here.
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