William Gardner Smith facts for kids

William Gardner Smith (born February 6, 1927 – died November 5, 1974) was an American writer. He worked as a journalist, novelist, and editor. Smith is known for his novels that explored important social issues for Black people in the 1940s and 1950s.

He wrote alongside famous authors like Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison. Smith's third book, South Street (1954), was one of the first novels to strongly speak out about racial injustice. His last novel, The Stone Face (1963), described the Paris massacre of 1961. This book was one of the few accounts of that event for many years.

Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was of African-American descent. After 1951, he lived in France. He also spent time in Ghana, West Africa, for his work. In his later years, he visited the United States. He wanted to see family and friends. He also wrote about the social changes happening there.

Some of Smith's writings from this time were published in France and Europe. Some were later put into his book Return To Black America in 1970. Smith spoke French very well. He often appeared on French radio and TV. He was seen as an expert on racial tension in the United States during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Smith was diagnosed with cancer in October 1973. He passed away just over a year later in Thiais, France. His ashes were placed at Paris's Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Early Life and Education

William Gardner Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother was Edith Smith. In 1934, his mother married Douglass Stanley Earle. William had three younger half-siblings from this marriage. He enjoyed taking care of his sisters and brother.

He grew up in a Black neighborhood in South Philadelphia. This area often appeared in his novels. Living there gave him a strong understanding of what it was like to be Black in America.

In high school, his principal helped him get a part-time job. He worked for the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper. Smith graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in January 1944. He was 16 years old and graduated with honors.

Military Service and First Novel

After high school, Smith worked full-time as a reporter. He continued working for the Pittsburgh Courier. In January 1946, he joined the Army. He was sent to Europe. He worked as a clerk-typist in occupied Berlin, Germany.

This experience in Germany inspired his first novel. It was called Last of the Conquerors. The book was published in 1948. Smith was only 21 years old when it came out.

Life as an Expatriate Writer

Smith left the Army in 1948. He then attended Temple University. He also kept working as a journalist for the Pittsburgh Courier. During this time, he married his high-school sweetheart. He also started writing his second novel, Anger at Innocence (1950).

In late 1951, Smith and his wife moved to France. They joined a large community of African-American artists and writers in Paris. This group included famous writers like Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Chester Himes.

Living in Europe was challenging for the couple. They faced financial difficulties. Smith's wife also found it hard to learn French. These challenges led to their divorce. Despite these difficulties, Smith kept writing. He lived a simple life in the Latin Quarter of Paris.

Journalism and Later Works

In 1954, Smith's situation improved. His third novel, South Street, was released. This book was inspired by his childhood in Philadelphia's Black neighborhoods. He was also hired by the Agence France-Presse (AFP). The AFP is a major news agency.

For many years, he worked as a foreign service editor and correspondent. He also directed the AFP office in Ghana. He stayed there until Nkrumah's government fell in 1966. After that, Smith continued working for AFP as an editor and special correspondent in different countries.

His next book, The Stone Face, was published in 1963. This would be his last published novel. Smith started writing it in 1961. At that time, the war in Algeria was causing strong feelings in France. This novel shows the anti-Arab racism Smith saw in Paris.

The Stone Face is one of the earliest accounts of the Paris massacre of 1961. It tells the story through fiction. Smith's experiences as a Black American working abroad shaped his writing. He saw injustice in both the United States and Europe.

In his novels and journalism, Smith wrote about social and political events. He used his writing to explore racism in the United States. In France, he was seen as an expert on racial issues in America. He published a report in 1967 about the revolts in American Black neighborhoods.

Smith remarried on October 31, 1961, to Solange Royez. Their daughter, Michelle, was born in 1963. A son was born in Accra, Ghana, in 1965. Their marriage ended in 1969. In 1971, Smith married Ira Reuben. Their daughter Rachel was born in 1971.