By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Dr. Calvert H. Smith has spent a lifetime educating people and working to improve the quality of life for disenfranchised African-Americans - skills he undoubtedly will need when he assumes the presidency of the Cincinnati NAACP in January.

CALVERT H. SMITH

Dr. Smith Born: 1936 in Iowa and later moved to Chicago Residence: North Avondale Occupation: Visiting professor and invited scholar in the College of Education at the University of Cincinnati. Education: Master's degree in education from DePaul University in 1964; doctor of philosophy degree from Northwestern University in 1969. Career: In 1968, Dr. Smith began his career in higher education by accepting a joint appointment with Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago and Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. From 1971-75, he served as chairman of the Department of Urban Affairs, professor of education administration and assistant dean of the College of Education at the University of Cincinnati. In 1984, he was named president of Morris Brown College. He was deputy superintendent of the Cincinnati Public Schools in the early 1990s; returned to UC in 1997. Family: Married to Carrie F. Smith. They have three adult children and three grandchildren.

The University of Cincinnati education professor was elected by a majority of NAACP members Tuesday to succeed Norma Holt Davis.

Mrs. Davis, a North Avondale lawyer, is stepping down after a tumultuous two-year term to dedicate more time to her private law practice.

Dr. Smith, 66, takes over the local branch at a time when Cincinnati is struggling with race relations and social justice issues.

Over the past 18 months, the NAACP has taken criticism from some African-Americans because the civil rights group remained silent and hard to find during some of the city's toughest times.

Some critics even claim the NAACP has lost its relevance, taking a back seat on local civil rights issues to upstart, grass-roots groups like the Cincinnati Black United Front.

Under the leadership of Dr. Smith and a new executive board, residents can expect to see a more aggressive, a more outspoken and a more active NAACP than in recent years.

"The community looked to us for a lot of leadership in the last couple of years," said Edith Thrower, chairman of the NAACP's education committee and candidate for third vice president.

"I think we performed OK, but there were some things out of our control that disabled us from doing what we would have liked in certain situations. I envision that under our new leadership we will be more visible and more proactive in the coming year."

Dr. Smith, who moves into the NAACP's top post on Jan. 1, describes himself as "someone who is sensitive to the needs of the less fortunate, impatient with a lack of progress and impatient with confusion."

He played down his role as NAACP president and played up the importance of communication and cooperation among organizations interested in social change.

"We are a long way from where we need to be as a city," Dr. Smith said in an interview Tuesday.

"When people have equal access to opportunities and when institutions respond to people in need in a dignified manner, recognizing their humanity, then you will not have the kind of unrest and continuing problems that we have had," he said.

"I don't believe the solutions to the problems that we face can be accomplished merely by a change in the presidency of any organization," he said.

"These issues will only be addressed when a vast number of people are galvanized and agree to work together toward solving them."

Dr. Smith said he wants to maintain a working dialogue with other civil rights groups such as the Black United Front. If African-Americans are going to gain social and economic equality in Cincinnati, he said, black organizations must work together, not against one another.

"The job we face is so big that every organization that wants to find a niche can do so," Dr. Smith said. "The key to all of us being successful is the liberation of (African-Americans). There is a place for every organization fighting to end the plight of our people."

During Mrs. Davis' tenure, the NAACP had to deal with the controversial boycott of downtown, which was organized by the BUF and other grass-roots groups. Mrs. Davis tried to maintain a neutral stance on the boycott, but was encouraged by the organization's national leadership to move the NAACP's annual Freedom Fund Dinner out of downtown.

Dr. Smith said the local chapter would continue to stand by the national chapter's policy. "We will honor the picket line and that is a decision that stands," he said.

The North Avondale educator said he believes the success of the local chapter can be measured in several ways, including membership and how well the organization achieves its goals.

"Our success can be judged by the degree to which people are registered to and do vote," he said. "The degree to which we address grievances that people bring to us is also a factor. The level of satisfaction that people feel about the work we are doing around their issues is important."

E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com