Ciara Smith Becomes Anniston, Alabama's First Mayor To Be A Black Woman

In May of this year, #CiaraSmith became Anniston, Alabama’s first mayor to be a Black Woman.  She is also the city’s youngest mayor at the age of 26 and a graduate of #SpelmanCollege in Atlanta, GA. Additionally, she has a Master’s degree in public administration from Jacksonville State University. Smith ran for mayor, after the city’s previous mayor Jack Draper announced his retirement, after being mayor for over eight years.

Ciara Smith/ Yahoo.com

Smith first made history in 2020, when she became vice mayor of Anniston at the age of 21. When she first announced her run for mayor in November of 2024, she had a vision for the city that included economic development, infrastructure improvements, housing stability, and transparent governance. She also stated in the Anniston Star during her campaign that education is one of her priorities. 

Ciara Smith/ The City of Anniston

She said, “It’s not something that we can ignore. It’s not something that we can continue to separate. Though we’re separate entities, there has to be a working relationship,” Smith said. “The reason why I say that it’s most crucial now is because the school system is talking about consolidating — the system as a whole — because the students have dwindled in numbers, and that is going to require a partnership between the local city, our local government and the school system.” The Calhoun County Commission Chairman, Terry Howell also said that the county supports the mayor’s office. 

Ciara Smith being sworn into office/ The City Of Anniston

Howell told WBRC “We’re here for her or whoever. Like I said, Calhoun County and Anniston we work hand in hand and we’re going to continue to do that.” The city is now looking for someone to fill the Ward 3 council position that has now been vacant since Smith became mayor.

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