Margo Smith oral history interview, January 27, 2011

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: SmithM_20110127

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Hilary Morrish. Margo Smith begins her oral history with a brief description of her childhood, and goes on to discuss her post-secondary education at Ohio State and University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She then describes her experiences with the Association on Battered Women of Clayton County and the challenges of dealing with domestic violence as well as the root of the problem. She discusses her involvement with the Georgia Network Against domestic Violence and the goals she had for her work with domestic violence. After talking about earning her degree from Georgia State University, she describes her jobs with the Atlanta Women’s foundation, Heifer International, and the Trust for Public Land. Smith ends by discussing her other passions including the environment, her work with CARE, and by giving advice on how to end the cycle of domestic violence.

Dates

Creation: January 27, 2011

Creator

Smith, Margo, 1950- (Interviewee, Person)

Restrictions on Access

Oral history available for research.

Biographical Note

Margo Smith was born as the youngest of five siblings in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1950. She studied at University of Massachusetts in Amherst in the 1970s, and graduated with honors with a major in Physical Education and a minor in Women’s Studies. Upon graduation, Smith went to work for the Massachusetts Coalition of Battered Women’s Groups. After moving to Atlanta in 1982, she worked as the executive director for the Association on Battered Women of Clayton County. She later held the position of Executive Director for the Georgia Network Against Domestic Violence. Smith went back to school at Georgia State University in 1994 to get her masters in Urban Studies with a concentration in Human Resources, while simultaneously working as the director of the Southeast Women’s Employment Coalition, and the interim director of the Women’s Resource Center. Smith then served as the Director of Development for the Atlanta Women’s Foundation. She later worked for the Trust for Public Land, Heifer International, and CARE, the international agency working to end poverty and empower women through social change.