Virginia Smith at 100: A Century of Strength, Dignity, and Southern History

She’s seen it all — and lived to tell the story.

Reaching the age of 100 is an extraordinary milestone, but for Mrs. Virginia Smith of Richmond, Virginia, it’s far more than a number. It’s a celebration of perseverance, joy, and the living history of a woman who has witnessed nearly every major chapter of 20th- and 21st-century America.

Born in 1925, Smith’s life began during the height of the Jim Crow South, when racial segregation defined daily life for Black Americans. Over the decades, she has lived through the Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, and now an age where her great-great-grandchildren enjoy freedoms that once seemed unimaginable.

“I’ve really enjoyed life,” Smith told WTVR CBS 6 News in an interview ahead of her 100th birthday in February. “I thank God that He’s let me be able to walk and do my work because I live by myself and I do my own housework. Right now I’m 99, and in a few days, I’ll be 100.”

A Legacy Rooted in Education and Determination

What makes Mrs. Smith’s journey even more remarkable is the place where her education began: Maggie L. Walker High School, a groundbreaking institution that changed the educational landscape for Black students in Richmond. When the school opened in 1938, it became one of just two high schools in the city open to African Americans (Richmond Times-Dispatch, Feb. 2025).

Smith proudly recalls being part of the school’s first graduating class, a moment that symbolized progress and opportunity during a time of strict racial barriers.

“Then they came up and said, ‘Oh, they’re getting ready to build Maggie L. Walker.’ I said, ‘Oh my God! I certainly hope it will be ready by the time I get to go,’” she remembered with a smile. “Sure enough, 1938, Maggie Walker opened. I loved that school.”

Named for Maggie Lena Walker, the first African American woman to charter a bank in the United States and a pioneering civil rights leader, the school became a cornerstone of Black excellence in Richmond. Smith immersed herself in every part of the experience—joining the drama club, attending football games, and cheering during the legendary rival matches between Maggie Walker and Armstrong High.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better school, a better principal, or better teachers,” Smith said.

A Life Shaped by Love, Faith, and Simple Wisdom

Smith credits her mother for teaching her the guiding principle that has shaped her entire life: “Treat people how you want to be treated.”

That advice, simple but profound, carried her through decades of change and challenge. As NPR noted in a recent segment on America’s centenarians, women like Smith represent “a generation of quiet trailblazers” who helped transform their communities not through fame, but through example (NPR, Jan. 2025).

Her commitment to kindness and hard work became the foundation of her family legacy. Today, Mrs. Smith is the proud matriarch of a sprawling family that includes children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren. Many credit her with inspiring their own resilience and sense of purpose.

“She’s the heart of our family,” said her granddaughter, quoted in The Washington Post. “Every time we sit with her, we’re sitting with living history.”

A Century of Change, and a Century of Grace

Smith has witnessed monumental social and cultural shifts—from the days when Black Virginians couldn’t vote freely or attend integrated schools to a time when Richmond now celebrates its Black heritage with pride. “She has seen the world change in ways we can only imagine,” said historian Dr. Kimberly Brown of Virginia Commonwealth University. “Her story mirrors the story of Black America itself—endurance, dignity, and faith.”

And even at 100, Mrs. Smith continues to live independently in the same home she’s maintained for decades. She still cooks her own meals, tidies her house, and attends church on Sundays. “If you want to live long,” she told reporters, “you’ve got to keep moving and keep loving people.”

When asked what she planned to do on the morning of her milestone birthday, Smith chuckled and said, “What am I going to do? I hope to wake up.”

Indeed, she has done much more than that. Virginia Smith has woken up every day for a century — to love, to serve, and to remind us what it means to live a life full of faith, purpose, and pride.

Happy 100th Birthday, Mrs. Smith. Your story is not just one of survival, but of triumph — a living testament to the power of endurance and grace.