Nareissa Smith, Esq.

If you are looking for an expert on Black History or teaching Black History to children, Nareissa Smith is a great choice. Nareissa’s first book, “Fighting for Equality: Racial Justice in North America,” was published on January 1, 2025. The text is part of the Spotlight on Social Justice series presented by Lerner Publishing Group.

Nareissa has studied history - particularly African American history - since childhood. She officially studied history as a student at Spelman College. (She graduated summa cum laude.) After Spelman, Nareissa attended Howard University School of Law. (She graduated magna cum laude.)

Because history and the law have a strong relationship, Nareissa's study of history continued along with her legal studies and career.

After two judicial clerkships, Nareissa became a law professor. Nareissa taught Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Critical Race Theory, and Women & the Law. As a result, Nareissa is well aware of the historical and legal underpinnings of current issues such as affirmative action, criminal justice reform, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), reproductive rights, and voting rights. Nareissa has also written about history in her career as a journalist. Nareissa is fascinated by all eras of American history and is shocked by how much she has learned and how much has yet to learn.

In 2020, Nareissa started teaching online courses in African American History, Women’s History, and democracy to youth in grades 6-12. She can speak about many historical issues as well as the difficulties that parents and teachers encounter when trying to teach the more challenging aspects of America’s history.

Sub-specialties:

HIstory -
- African American HIstory
- Women's History

Intersectionality
- The histories of women of color in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico

Hate Crimes
- The history of lynching as well as current hate crimes.

Race and Ethnicity
- Critical Race Theory
- History of People of Color in the U.S.

Social Justice
- Racial Justice
- Gender Justice