Jaylen Smith Becomes the Youngest Black Mayor Elected in America's History

Jaylen Smith has made history by becoming the youngest Black mayor in the United States.

Tuesday night, 18-year-old Smith was elected mayor of his hometown, Earle, Arkansas, defeating Nemi Matthews Sr., 59, in a runoff election. According to election results, Smith had 218 votes over Matthews' 139. Earle is a small Arkansas town with a population of almost 2,000 people and is located northwest of Memphis.

Smith announced his win via Facebook stating, "It’s Time To Build A Better Chapter of Earle, Arkansas." The May 2022 high school graduate isn't bothered by the criticism that he lacks political experience. He compared his new job to being a new hire at any job. "You know when you first get a job somewhere,” he said. “You never know what you’re getting into. At any age, you can do what you want.”

The youngest mayor in America already has a plan and is very intentional about building a new Earle, Arkansas. “First, I want to improve public safety here. Secondly, tear down abandoned houses … transportation here for the community, bring a grocery store here,” he said in an interview with Fox13 last month.

We look forward to seeing the success of Smith and the city of Earle.