Title
The Life and Legacy of Rev. Bennett Walker Smith
Files
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Description
Series of reports on the life of Rev. Bennett Smith of Buffalo, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s. He died on August 7, 2001. Reports cover Rev. Smith's funeral, attended by New York Senator Hillary Clinton, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, among the dignitaries. Archival interviews with Rev. Smith are included, as he reflects on his efforts to help those he once referred to as 'the least, the lost, and the left out.' He was the pastor of St. John Baptist Church in Buffalo for twenty-nine years. He was a player on the national civil rights stage. Interviews include Buffalo NAACP President Frank Mesiah, Rev. Smith's widow, Marilyn Smith, Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark, and former New York Assembly Deputy Speaker Arthur O. Eve. Rev. Smith's funeral lasted four hours. His last project was building the Family Life Center for education, health, recreation and counseling. Speakers at his funeral included Hillary Clinton, Governor George Pataki, Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello, and Buffalo Common Council President Jim Pitts.
Publication Date
8-1-2001
Department
Archives & Special Collections Department, E. H. Butler Library
Collection
Monroe Fordham Regional History Center
Copyright
Please refer to our copyright statement for more information.
Disciplines
History
Recommended Citation
"The Life and Legacy of Rev. Bennett Walker Smith." WIVB-TV Black History Specials. Monroe Fordham Regional History Center. Archives & Special Collections Department, E. H. Butler Library, SUNY Buffalo State. https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/wivb-specials/9
