In Memoriam to Dorothye G. Smith 12/27/1926 – 8/24/2017
On Saturday February 6th at 1 P.M. The first Black Principal post desegregation, Dorothye G. Smith will be remembered and honored at Southside Elementary School.
Born on December 27th, 1926 in Clearwater, Florida, she had been a Newtown resident for over sixty years. Smith started her teaching career at the then segregated Booker Elementary. She was a progressive teacher known for teaching her children not only what was in the books, but the useful soft skills that kids needed during the time.
She was an award winning teacher. A reading expert teaching wise who also headed up a county school reading program before she became a principal. She received other recognitions and awards like the Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAACP, “Mother of the Year” from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Distinguished Service Award from J. H. Floyd Sunshine Manor, Magnificent Alumna from Bethune Cookman University, and much more. She was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was heavily involved in community work as a member of Bethlehem Bible Church and was even a part of the Sarasota Historical Society.
The students she taught are now accomplished individuals who have her help to thank for who they are today. Some of her students include DenTise Pearcey-Copeland the first Black Miss Sarasota, the late Walter Reed Jr. who was a Colonel in the U.S. Army, the late George Valentine who was a U.S. Attorney in Washington DC, and a long list of other students
To conclude, Dorothye G. Smith was an amazing and dedicated member of the community, especially during the time period. She taught her children Shakespeare, took them to museums, and even restaurants they were not allowed to dine in at the time. Her lifetime of accomplishments show that she worked hard to provide an amazing future for those she taught. In the words of one of her previous students Walter Gilbert,
“She showed the world was bigger than Newtown, and it was theirs for the taking. No matter how hard they tried to limit us, there were no limitations.”
Thank you for your hard work.
