Appleseed Welcomes Intern MaKenzie Smith

By MaKenzie Smith

My name is Makenzie Smith, and I am excited to be spending this summer as a policy intern with Alabama Appleseed and Alabama Arise. I’m from Moundville, Alabama, and have grown up in the Tuscaloosa County area. I recently graduated from The University of Alabama with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Global and Cultural Perspectives. I’m currently pursuing my Master of Public Administration at The University of Alabama and will complete my final semester this fall, having entered the program as an accelerated master’s student.

MaKenzie is a master’s student at University of Alabama.

As a Black woman raised in Alabama, I have long been familiar with the realities of both interpersonal and systemic racism. That familiarity left me with a deep sense that I could not remain passive. This, paired with the influence of my mother, a social worker who emphasized the importance of civic engagement and advocacy, led me to aspire to a future career focused on confronting systemic racism.

During my sophomore year, I attended a forum hosted by Tide Against Time, a campus organization dedicated to informing students about mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex, titled “Conditions of Prisons in the U.S. & Alabama.” Lee Davis and Ron McKeithen, representatives of Alabama Appleseed, came to discuss the harsh reality of Alabama’s prison conditions, their personal experiences, and Alabama Appleseed’s work to fight for incarcerated individuals who have fallen victim to the mass incarceration complex and Alabama’s overly punitive outlook on prison which often under prioritizes rehabilitation. Attending this talk was my first exposure to Alabama Appleseed, and I immediately admired the organization’s commitment to advancing justice through advocacy, policy reform, and legal representation. I was especially inspired by the way the organization, and the dedicated individuals who work there, build meaningful relationships with people who have been unjustly overlooked by the system. This admiration led me to pursue an internship with the organization so I could learn how to contribute to positive change in Alabama’s prison system in the same meaningful ways they do.

Through my participation in the Blackburn Institute, a civic engagement and leadership development program at my university, I developed a deeper understanding of the importance of not speaking for communities, but instead listening to understand their needs and working to amplify their voices. This perspective shapes my passion for prison reform, particularly the ambition to uplift the voices of one of the most disenfranchised populations in the United States. Upon graduating with my Master of Public Administration, I plan to attend law school with the goal of becoming a civil rights lawyer. I am thankful to Alabama Appleseed for the opportunity to observe their work up close, receive generous and wise support and guidance, and begin developing the skills needed to contribute meaningfully to justice and reform in my home state.