Edith Renfrow Smith, who turned 107 on July 14, was the first black woman to graduate from Grinnell College in Iowa. She has been honored by the school with the dedication of the Edith Renfrow Smith Black Women’s Library.
Smith, a retired teacher from Chicago, overcame many obstacles before creating her legacy. Education was a must in her childhood even though her grandfather was an escaped slave. All of her six siblings attended college.
Smith stated that finding African-American families in Grinnell was not very common. She had to develop “thick skin” as a child because discrimination was so pervasive. However, her mother always gave encouragement.
“She taught us no one is better than you. They may have more money. They may have more clothes, maybe their more beautiful, or live in a better house…Not even the president of the United States is better than you, ” her mother taught her.
