Urban League Names Leader of New Center for Social Justice

The Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio (Cincinnati, OH) has chosen a leader for its new Center for Social Justice.

Rickell Howard Smith was named executive director of the center, which was launched in June to focus on police reform in the municipalities and suburbs of Cincinnati and Dayton. Howard Smith comes to the role with 15 years of experience in law, policy, and nonprofit leadership. Most recently, she was the senior director of Community Strategies at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have Rickell lead the Center for Social Justice at the Urban League,” Eddie Koen, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, said in a news release. “Her breadth of experience in civil rights law and activism and her extensive work within the community positions her as the ideal candidate for this unique opportunity.”

Howard Smith will be responsible for the overall strategic and operational duties, including the expansion and execution of its mission. She will also work with communities across the region to focus on police reform, voter suppression and emerging social justice issues.

“It is an honor to step into this role, shape the center’s focus and partner with communities that have been fighting for systemic reforms for decades,” Howard Smith said in a release. “This is a critical time for our nation and region. It is paramount that we center the voices and solutions developed by communities directly impacted by systemic injustice. We are the catalyst for change in our own communities.”

Howard Smith received her J.D. from Temple University in Philadelphia and her bachelor's in international business from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She's a graduate of Walnut Hills High School.

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