| Rita Smith-Wade-El | |
| Birth Date: | 1 October 1948 |
| Birth Place: | Washington, D.C. |
| Death Place: | Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
| Occupation: | Academic |
| Nationality: | American |
| Subject: | Psychology, African-American studies |
Rita Smith-Wade-El (October 1, 1948 – December 29, 2018)[1] was an American professor of psychology, women's studies, and African-American studies.
Smith-Wade-El was born in Washington, D.C. to Eva Mae and James Edward Smith.[2] [3] She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Barnard College and both her master's degree and Doctor of Philosophy in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.[4] In her youth, she was a member of the Black Panther Party and Students for a Democratic Society.[5]
Smith-Wade-El was a professor of psychology, Pan-African studies, and women's studies at Temple University for ten years.[3] [4] For 35 years she taught at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, where she was the director of African-American studies.[3] She created the African-American studies minor and was instrumental in the creation of the Latino studies minor.[3] She left the university in 2018 due to her diagnosis of breast cancer.[6] She was the education chair of the Lancaster, Pennsylvania branch of the NAACP.[7]
Smith-Wade-El resided in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for more than thirty years.[4] She had two sons, the younger of whom is politician Ismail Smith-Wade-El.[5] She was a devout Roman Catholic.[2] She died of triple-negative breast cancer in 2018 at the age of 70, having first been diagnosed with the disease in 2008.[8]
Smith-Wade-El was the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Essence of Humanity Award given by the Crispus Attucks Community Center.[4] In 2018, Millersville University renamed its Intercultural Center to the Dr. Rita Smith-Wade-El Intercultural Center.[6] The former James Buchanan Elementary School in Lancaster was renamed in her honor to Rita Smith-Wade-El Elementary School in 2021.[7]