Arkansas teen elected youngest Black mayor in US
By: Jacob Gallant
EARLE, Ark. (WMC/Gray News) – A teen in Arkansas was voted in to become the youngest Black mayor in America on Tuesday night.
Jaylen Smith graduated from Earle High School in May of 2022. Now, at just 18 years old, he’s the mayor-elect of Earle.
He shared the news on social media, saying: “It’s time to build a better chapter of Earle, Arkansas.”
“I have what it takes as a first comer,” Smith told WMC in August. “I want to get a lot done at this amount of time. I want to do what it takes to better the city of Earle, Arkansas.”
Smith says he plans to focus on public safety, housing, and building a grocery store in town.