Photo courtesy of Miami-Dade County

Photo (left to right) Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, attorney H.T. Smith and Commissioners Marleine Bastien and Kionne McGhee.

MIAMI – Prominent attorney and social justice advocate H.T. Smith has a street named after him.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien hosted a street naming ceremony in honor of Smithy to celebrate his lifelong commitment to justice, equality, and advocacy for Miami’s African American community.

A portion of NW 69th Street between NW 22nd and NW 27th Avenue is now renamed “H.T. Smith Street.”

Smith, a Miami native, earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law and became the Miami-Dade County’s first African American assistant public defender and assistant county attorney.

Smith has since been in private practice and opened up Miami’s first Black-owned law firm practicing in downtown Miami.

Smith led a boycott in 1990 when Miami leaders snubbed South African anti-apartheid activist and politician Nelson Mandela during his visit.

The economic boycott lasted 1,000 days and resulted in significant changes, including the creation of scholarships for students of color at Florida International University and the development of the first Black-owned convention-quality hotel in the United States.