About Me

Mitzi J. Smith, PhD ~ I am my mother’s daughter

In In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens, Alice Walker states that it is in our mothers’, grandmothers’, and other mothers’ gardens that we discover the creative work that “our souls must have.” I am the daughter of Flora O. Smith (February 4,1929—March 14, 2009). My mother nudged me forward, was my first mentor, modeled what love of the folk and of God looks like in the flesh, and demonstrated resilience, faith, relentless hope, improvisation, and wisdom. She taught me sewing, cooking, gardening, and so many other things.

I am a womanist professor, biblical scholar, justice advocate, and author who was educated at Howard University School of Divinity and Harvard University. I started this website to assist in expanding the work I do beyond the limited space of a classroom. This site promotes critical thinking, social justice, progressive biblical interpretation, and the religion of the Jesus who prioritized “the least among us” and who demonstrated compassion, mercy, and love of God, self and other human beings. As a Black woman, I encourage myself and other Black women and communities to love all of ourselves—our voices, spirits, bodies, knowledge production, the Spirit—in a world that so often has not and does not value and/or love us.

Alice Walker defines a womanist as audacious, curious—eager “to know more than is good for her”—or unrelentingly inquisitive, a globalist, a liberator, and lover of freedom. Like Harriett Tubman, a womanist assumes her right to be free, takes her freedom, and assists others to do likewise. She is a globalist because we are all part of the human race with all its variety of skin colors and cultures. Womanists are diverse in terms of social class, spirituality, sexuality, and so on.

As a womanist scholar, I privilege and center Black women’s (and our communities’) experiences, traditions, artifacts, voices, humanity, knowledge production, wisdom, and concerns. I am a biblical scholar, author, professor, justice advocate, and podcaster. In September 2022, I launched the Beyond the Womanist Classroom podcast.

I am thrilled that you stopped by my website! If you read and hear anything that resonates with you, please share it.