{"id":15287,"date":"2025-02-20T20:10:40","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T20:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=15287"},"modified":"2025-02-20T20:11:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T20:11:07","slug":"alicia-smith-a-legacy-of-leadership-in-the-junction-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/20\/alicia-smith-a-legacy-of-leadership-in-the-junction-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Alicia Smith: A Legacy of Leadership in the Junction Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Asia Nail
\n<\/em><\/strong>The Truth Reporter<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Some leaders are chosen. Others rise from the heart of the struggle, molded by the needs of their community and driven by a purpose greater than themselves. Alicia Smith<\/strong> is the latter. As the executive director\u2014and proud community liaison\u2014of the Junction Coalition<\/strong>, she has spent over a decade ensuring that the Junction neighborhood is not just surviving but thriving. Now, as the YWCA<\/em><\/strong> Milestones 2025 Honoree<\/em><\/strong> for Social Services<\/strong>, she is being recognized for her unwavering dedication to social justice and peace education\u2014work that has reshaped not only the Junction neighborhood but the city itself.<\/p>\n

A Mission Rooted in Community<\/strong><\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s journey is deeply personal. \u201cWhat keeps me motivated is my family. I have three beautiful children, two boys and a girl, and a grandbaby,\u201d she shares. Raised in Toledo with strong ties to her grandmother, she was instilled with the values of service, care and advocacy at an early age.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandma taught me to take care of the elders in our community and how to work with young people,\u201d Smith recalls. \u201cShe taught by example, working as a bus driver for Toledo Public Schools.\u201d That legacy of care and responsibility laid the foundation for Smith\u2019s work, shaping her leadership philosophy as one of collaboration rather than command.<\/p>\n

A Community Liaison, Not a Director
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Smith, the title of \u201ccommunity liaison<\/strong>\u201d is intentional. \u201cDirectors direct. They point, and people go. I struggle with this title because we don\u2019t need unilateral leadership anymore; we need collective practice,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cA community liaison works for and with the community. They move to the sound of the community. They ask for permission, respectfully. They carry out plans and report back the results.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith believes that leadership is a shared journey, one where collaboration fosters real change.<\/p>\n

Four Pillars of Justice
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the heart of the Junction Coalition\u2019s work are four pillars: Social Justice, Economic Justice, Environmental Justice and Peace Education. These are not abstract ideals\u2014they are the blueprint for tangible change.<\/p>\n

One defining moment came when Smith was sitting in a doctoral-level human rights course taught by Dale Snauwaert, PhD, at the University of Toledo. \u201cHe was speaking about peace, education, economic, and environmental rights. He was focused on sustainability, and I reflected on the Junction area where I live\u2014it didn\u2019t have a voice. I wondered, \u2018Why am I only now learning many of these truths only at the doctorate level? Why don\u2019t my neighbors know that we live in hazardous environments?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

From that realization, Smith took action. She attended environmental conferences, learned how to effect change on a local level, and spearheaded initiatives addressing water safety, urban heat islands and air quality.<\/p>\n

Her work has led to critical programs like the 419 Lead Out initiative <\/em><\/strong>focusing on lead abatement and education, working to eliminate lead contamination in homes and create safer living conditions for families. Through safe and affordable water initiatives, she has championed efforts to improve water quality, access and affordability, advocating for sustainable solutions that prevent water crises in marginalized communities. Additionally, the Reimagining Swan Creek<\/strong> project seeks to revitalize the area by enhancing green spaces and fostering economic development while transforming the creek into a resource benefiting both residents and the local ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Empowering Youth <\/strong><\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s advocacy extends beyond immediate community needs\u2014it builds a future where young people have the tools to lead. The Urban Narrative Expression Podcast<\/strong> is one of those tools.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe podcast gives our youth a voice, but more importantly, it teaches them how to use their voice,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

Through the platform, youth discuss critical topics like bullying, racism, and systemic barriers. \u201cWe all need to be able to talk, to have public deliberation around the things that are harming us. At the Junction Coalition, we ask our youth: Where does it hurt? We don\u2019t just ask to offload, we ask so we can build the resources to support them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia\u2019s son, inspired by her work, started a nonprofit at a young age. \u201cWhen Trayvon Martin was murdered, my son came to me and said, \u2018Mom, I want teens and young people to be able to talk to each other about how we feel seeing this on television.\u2019\u201d That moment reinforced Smith\u2019s belief in the power of restorative justice, leading her to become a certified restorative justice practitioner, working within the juvenile court system and beyond.<\/p>\n

Turning Voices into Action
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe greatest success we\u2019ve seen in the Junction area is people coming out and vocalizing what they want to see,\u201d Smith reflects. \u201cThen we take those community voices and we\u2019ve turned them into local, state, and federal investments.\u201d<\/p>\n

These investments are visible\u2014homes being built, businesses receiving support, and youth programs expanding. \u201cWe have gone from speaking something, to implementation, to now seeing it take place,\u201d she says with pride.<\/p>\n

A Recognition That Amplifies
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being honored by the YWCA as a Milestones 2025 Honoree is not just an accolade for Smith; it is a moment of collective recognition for the entire Junction community. \u201cThe recognition means our work is not in vain. It means when we take the time to learn from one another and show our greatness openly\u2014we can move mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia Smith\u2019s work is history in the making\u2014both Black history and Women\u2019s history intertwined. She stands in the lineage of Black women who have built communities, uplifted voices, and demanded justice. She is proof that when a community stands together, change is not only possible\u2014it is inevitable.<\/p>\n

And for the Junction neighborhood, this is just the beginning.<\/p>\n

Congratulations to Alicia Smith on this well-deserved honor! Learn more about the YWCA Milestones Awards <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Asia Nail The Truth Reporter Some leaders are chosen. Others rise from the heart of the struggle, molded by the needs of their community and driven by a purpose greater than themselves. Alicia Smith is the latter. As the executive director\u2014and proud community liaison\u2014of the Junction Coalition, she has spent over a decade ensuring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15289,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[250,17],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[281],"class_list":["post-15287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15287"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15287\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15291,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15287\/revisions\/15291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15287"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=15287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}