Smith-Wright tells Girls Inc. students to get involved, be leaders
Owensboro City Commissioner Pam Smith-Wright, who is the city’s longest serving woman commissioner and the first woman in city history to be elected Mayor Pro Tem, told students from Girls Inc. that the city needs them to get involved and become leaders.
And Smith-Wright, who was re-elected to the commission last year after unsuccessfully running for mayor in 2020, said she plans to run for the city’s top office again.
“I feel Owensboro has been a good ole boys network for too long,” Smith-Wright said to the Girls Inc. students Tuesday at the organization’s campus at Owensboro Christian Church. “Women are naturally nurturers, so I feel I can take care of the city better than a man.”
Smith-Wright spoke to the group as part of the “Project Empower: Girls and Goals” program, which is a partnership between Girls Inc. and the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce’s Chamber Young Professionals.
Ashley Agada, campus manager for the OCC Girls Inc. campus, said the girls will hear from women in various professions who are “important in our community, and who give back in different ways.”
The program encourages values such as getting an education and being a contributor in the community, Agada said.
One of the messages of the program is “don’t be scared to find your voice, and be impactful when you use it,” Agada said.
Smith-Wright, who is a caterer, a chef, a minister and former restaurant owner, said her family was pioneering in city history: Smith-Wright’s older sister, Gertrude Smith Clemmons, was the first Black student to integrate all-white Foust Junior High. Smith-Wright said she followed her sister to Foust and then Owensboro High School.
“I got involved in everything I could get involved in in high school,” Smith-Wright said.
When asked how the students should set goals for themselves, Smith-Wright told them to find what they’re passionate about.
“Everyone has their own path, and I would encourage you to follow that path,” Smith-Wright said.
The students should work “to be the best they can be” in what the activities they feel compelled to pursue, she said.
“To be well-rounded people, you have to do more than sit in class,” she said.
When Smith-Wright first began talking about running for city office, some people tried to discourage her. She told the students to find the people who will support them in their goals.
“You have to surround yourself with folks of like minds, who can help you make decisions you think are good,” Smith-Wright said.
Smith-Wright said she got into city government because she had a desire to help people, and said the city needs to embrace all of its residents.
“Owensboro needs to step out of the box (it’s) in,” she said. “Owensboro needs to recognize every single person who lives here.”
All citizens need to be treated with equal respect and consideration, she said.
“We shouldn’t judge people by the color of their skin, or if they’re gay or lesbian,” Smith-Wright said. “If they pay taxes, they need to be treated like everybody else.”
Smith-Wright said: “I love being a commissioner. … You have to have the desire to make things better for your community. While you’re doing it for your community, you’re doing it for yourself.”
By Jim Mayse Messenger-Inquirer