On any given day you can catch Scotty organizing a hurricane relief effort, marching alongside other activists in any city USA; demanding justice for our many brothers and sisters who may not otherwise receive it, debating right-wing views on cable, or most recently boycotting an East Atlanta gas station because of racist treatment and attacks toward the Black community.
The SMART Foundation became involved with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts in 2017 after watching endless reports of the damage it was causing in Houston. While everyone was sitting in awe of what was happening, Scotty began to brainstorm ideas about how he and his foundation could help.
He remembered connecting with someone that had organized efforts to deliver water by truck to Flint, MI, and reached out to do the same for Houston. The SMART Foundation partnered with the YMCA and was able to deliver supplies to an apartment complex in Houston.
When asked when exactly his activism began, he has a specific date; “August 18, 2014. I attended my first march after Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson”.
He further elaborates with a story that many may not be familiar with; “I actually had a police brutality situation between the time that Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown were killed. I almost became a hashtag myself. I have it on video too. I was surrounded by 4-5 police officers in the middle of the night trying to say I did something that I did not do. But they let me go. Luckily, I knew something (about the law)”.
Not one to jump in front of a microphone, but not one to necessarily shy away from one; Scotty has appeared on Fox News multiple times to debating right-wing views while proving that he walks what he talks. Because he has a rather large social media following, his presence and participation were requested when it was time to address what was happening at a local gas station.
When Scotty found out what was going on, he became a mainstay at the daily boycotts. The owner has recently agreed to sell, so Scotty is now a part of the fundraising activity to help the East Atlanta community leaders buy the gas station.
You can find the GoFundMe link on Scotty’s Instagram page. Scotty Smart says, “If you educate the hood, you can change the world.”
You can get in touch with the S.M.A.R.T Foundation, Inc. at smartfoundationic.com and Instagram (@somemenarereallytrying). You can also follow Scotty and his activities on Instagram (@changecreatorsmart).
T. Nicole
