Jaylen Smith was a student government leader at his Arkansas high school when he first began to understand the importance of the youth vote. That was less than a year ago. As the youngest elected Black mayor in the whole US, the trailblazing adolescent is poised to put his knowledge into action.
“I didn’t want to be 30 or 40 and become a mayor when I could be one right now”
Tuesday, as the Georgia Senate race was grabbing the focus of the country, 18-year-old Smith was steadily gathering the support he needed to succeed the current mayor of the 1,785-person Earle.
Smith, who served as the Student Government Association president for three years before graduating from Earle High School last summer, said, “You really do have to start somewhere.” “I didn’t want to be 30 or 40 and become a mayor when I could be one right now.”
Smith, who shares a home with his parents, claimed that his mother was inconsolable over his victory over Nemi Matthews, the city’s director of streets and sanitation, by a vote of 235 to 183.
Smith is the youngest Black candidate to achieve the feat
Matthews was among the first to send congratulations to the newly elected mayor-elect Jaylen Smith, writing: “I congratulate mayor-elect Jaylen Smith for a well ran race, I wish you well.” Smith gave credit to younger voters, having established his credibility with them by, among other things, negotiating a deal with a high school cafeteria vendor.
“I worked time after time to get them what they wanted,” he said, adding that his achievements in school matters had made him “passionate and determined” to serve the wider community. Although Michael Sessions of Hillsdale, Michigan, in 2005 was the first 18-year-old to be elected mayor, Smith is the youngest Black candidate to accomplish the accomplishment.
Frank Scott Jr., mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, and head of the African American Mayors’ Association told CNN, “I’m delighted for Jaylen and the entire community in Earle as he becomes the youngest-ever African American mayor elected in the country.
