Trailblazer Carole Smitherman Reflects on Decades of Service as She Embarks on Retirement

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Carole Smitherman, a trailblazer in Birmingham’s legal and political spheres, has announced her retirement at the age of 70, complying with the mandatory retirement age for her profession. Over nearly half a century, Smitherman has broken significant racial and gender barriers, leaving a legacy of progressive changes in a city she has served extensively both in jurisprudence and in civic administration. Reflecting on her tenure, Smitherman shares her mixed emotions about leaving a role that has been both a professional position and a personal passion. She recalls the early days of her … Read more