KINGSTON, R.I. [June 5, 2023] — The Paul Cuffee School, a public charter school in Providence, has announced the recipient of the first ever Earl N. Smith III Memorial Scholarship, which honors the beloved professor and assistant dean in the University of Rhode Island’s College of Arts and Sciences.
The inaugural award of $1,000 goes to Sarina Yang, a senior at Paul Cuffee who plans to attend Rhode Island College next fall. The school created the scholarship earlier this year to honor Smith’s legacy and “his example of integrity, humility, and perseverance on the pathway to success.” Smith served on the school’s Board of Trustees before his death in 2022.
At an event held on May 31, Paul Cuffee students, staff, and guests gathered at the school to celebrate Yang’s selection and to remember Smith’s contributions to the school and the community at large. With members of Smith’s family in attendance, friends and collegues remembered Smith as a mentor and changemaker in the Rhode Island community and beyond.
Ron Thomas, a student success manager with Paul Cuffee, was a classmate of Smith’s when both attended URI as undergraduates in the 1990s.
“Who was Earl N. Smith III?” Thomas asked. “He was a father. He was the son. He was a brother. He was a mentor. He was an educator. He was a freedom fighter. His aura was calm and soothing, but his presence was strong and loud. His words were gentle and kind, but his messages were influential and profound. His knowledge was vast, and his impact was global.”
Ana Barraza, a URI alum who is currently interim director of diversity and outreach at Roger Williams University Law School, noted Smith’s ability to recognize and nurture future leaders.
“Earl knew the talent that you were before you even knew it, and he always breathed that into you,” she said. “He always reminded you that you were powerful beyond belief.”
She urged future scholarship winners to honor Smith’s name with their work.
“We want you to know this man who this scholarship is named for,” Barraza said. “He was strong. He fought for you without even knowing who you are, and he wanted to make sure that you had the privilege and access that he didn’t have, but that he wanted to leave us his legacy for you. So I ask you to continue his legacy, to be strong, and to persist in this fight.”
The scholarship committee said Yang was chosen as the inaugural recipient for her excellent academic work as well as her leadership in promoting representation and inclusion in school curricula. In particular, the committee cited Yang’s leadership with the Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education, an organization that mobilizes Southeast Asian and other Rhode Island youth of color for education justice.
In addition to his work in the Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, Smith was a professor of Africana studies and director of the Cape Verde Summer Study Abroad Program. He was a proud alumnus of URI’s Talent Development program, and began his academic career as a pre-matriculation counselor in the program. After receiving his Ph.D. from Howard University, Smith returned to URI in 2004 as an academic advisor for the University College before ascending to the role of assistant dean for the College of Arts and Sciences.
As a URI student, Smith was active with the Black Student Leadership Group and played a key role in the 1992 takeover of Taft Hall, during which students called on URI leaders to make meaningful changes on campus including the creation of an Africana Studies program and the Multicultural Resource Center.
The Paul Cuffee School aims to raise $25,000 in support of the scholarship program and has raised $15,000 so far. To learn more, or to donate, visit https://www.paulcuffee.org/support/earl-n-smith-iii-memorial-scholarship-fund/.