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4-H alumni aren’t the only ones with a 4-H story to tell. For many of those involved in 4-H, their experience began as a volunteer. That was the case for Dr. Maurice Smith, Assistant Professor and 4-H Youth Development Extension* Specialist at Virginia State University (VSU).

In 2008 in Sussex County, Virginia, Dr. Smith—who was attending Virginia State at the time—was introduced to 4-H by his mentors, who also happened to be 4-H Agents in the counties of Prince George, Greensville/Emporia, and the City of Suffolk. They suggested he volunteer at a local 4-H Camp.

“As a young black male—and as a junior in college—it wasn’t the norm to say, ‘I want to go to a camp and be outdoors,’” he recalls, “so going to my first outdoor camp was a shock!”

After becoming a camp volunteer, his passion for youth development began. In his current role, Dr. Smith works with state programs and program teams on civic engagement and leadership development. In addition, Dr. Smith conducts research related to civic engagement as it pertains to urban minorities, serves on many 4-H committees, and is an advisor to the VSU 4-H Collegiate Club and Virginia 4-H Ambassadors Academy.

During our conversation, Dr. Smith shared why he believes that it is vital to promote agriculture to young people, as well as how he is getting more African American youth involved in 4-H.

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Please share how your 4-H experience began.Dr. Maurice Smith 

MS: My 4-H journey started as a camp volunteer. I was finalizing my studies at Virginia State University, majoring in agriculture, business, and economics, and my mentors encouraged me to come to camp to mentor youth in my area of study, as well as share my local perspective on agriculture. While volunteering, I noticed a change in learning and behavior that a child can go through at camp that I’d never seen before. This experience and the advice of my mentors helped me frame my perspective, which inspired me to pursue a career in 4-H, youth development, and agriculture.


Did you have any experiences in grade school that may have led you to want to work with youth and be a mentor?MS:

Growing up, no, however, my grandparents’ family were surrounded by agriculture. My father and mother pushed me to major in agriculture because of the scholarship opportunity and resources available in agriculture at Virginia State.I think we had a 4-H program in Sussex County. However, there were difficulties, including getting African American parents to understand the importance of 4-H. That’s why my research on African American youth and families is instrumental in helping strengthen enrollment.

It sounds like you have a passion for working with youth and mentoring them. Can you share what you hope young people will gain from being in programs like 4-H that will help them to expand their knowledge of agriculture?

MS: I hope they gain leadership and social skills, as well as a sense of belonging. A lot of these small things can help them as they start their careers and make them lifelong contributing citizens. Young people also need to learn a sense of awareness. In 4-H, instead of saying, “I know what I want to do and be when I grow up,” there’s a different perspective. Instead, the question is, “What types of skills do you need to be successful in what you want to be when you grow up?” We’re preparing young leaders to be successful in their futures.

How do you think schools and other organizations like 4-H can encourage more diversity and inclusion, and how can they empower more minority students to be leaders or seek out leadership roles?

MS: I think there needs to be a constant and continual branding of 4-H. My research revolves around the involvement of the African American community and parent involvement in 4-H. For example, to recruit more African American young men into 4‑H, do we have our coaches and barbers who serve as role models volunteering? Do we have African American leaders in the community serving as volunteers? Are church groups, community groups, fraternities, and sororities volunteering? Does our 4-H merchandise appeal to African American audiences?  I want to come up with new and innovative ideas to get the African American community more involved.

Can you tell me how Virginia State and other 1890 land-grant universities** or historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) continue to open doors for students and expand knowledge in communities?

MS: Our current president, Dr. Makola Abdullah, and his wife are instrumental in working with 4-H. They love 4-H. His wife is helping us create a program in the surrounding localities on STEAM awareness, utilizing VSU student leaders and activities to come up with initiatives to work with 4-H. We had a big STEM camp in January 2019 with the university president and our colleagues to raise awareness of 4-H. Now we are coming up with more ideas to increase funding for the 1890 universities. We are thinking of ways to raise funds to help the poor, socially disadvantaged and underserved youth in this state who might want to attend Virginia State, but do not have the funds.

Lastly, how are you strengthening enrollment in 4-H, and what do you hope members get from participation?

MS: We plan and develop 4-H programs according to the needs of the community, but we should think more about the interests of the child. Along with collaborating with VSU, we must include those insights, so we have interesting programs, and are maintaining inclusion, enrollment, and excitement in 4-H.

*The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide, non-credit educational network. Each U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university and a network of local or regional offices. These offices are staffed by experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to agricultural producers, small-business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes.**The Morrill Act of 1890 requires each state to show that race was not an admissions criterion, or else to designate a separate land-grant institution for persons of color. Among the seventy colleges and universities which eventually evolved from the Morrill Acts are several of today’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

As a child in the 1960s, Lonnette Marsh grew up in South Carolina with an appreciation for farming and a passion for sewing. Her experience on her family’s farm provided many life lessons, which she was able to apply to her life beyond the land.“

I appreciate the knowledge and experiences that I had growing up on a farm,” she explains, “but fortunately, my parents also stressed the importance of education.

”Her experience working “sun-up to sundown” alongside her family taught her the value of hard work, which she has carried with her throughout her career, leading to her current role as Western Regional Extension* Director at North Carolina A&T State University.

During our conversation, Marsh described her farming experiences, shared how her father’s passing shaped the course of her education, and explained how she is hoping to expand learning and leadership opportunities to minority youth today.Please describe your 4-H experience and where it began.

Lonnette Marsh (LM): My 4-H experience began when I was in the 4th grade, in Chesterfield, South Carolina. We had monthly meetings which were split between girls and boys; my fondest memories are of my sewing projects.

Were there any stand-out skills that you learned during 4-H, or skills you learned from a mentor, that became the foundation of where you are today?

LM: My 4-H sewing projects stuck with me, so I took Home Economics classes in high school. I later followed that track, majoring in clothing and textiles—now called fashion merchandising—at North Carolina A&T. After doing an internship in retail, though, I realized that wasn’t the field for me.

My 4-H Extension Agent was a mentor to me. She seemed to have it all together, and I aspired to be like her growing up. She instilled in us the value of manners, as well as how to carry ourselves, how to present ourselves, and how to walk appropriately; skills that you need as a young female. Both my parents were also great role models.

How did your experience and interest in Home Economics and sewing lead you to Extension?

LM: Two of my instructors at A&T encouraged me to consider Extension as a career. North Carolina Extension was not hiring, so I applied for a position in Virginia. That’s where I started my career – as a 4-H Agent in Bedford in 1988. That’s also where I learned about all aspects of Cooperative Extension*, including 4-H Youth Development, which was called Home Economics at the time. After 23 years with Virginia Cooperative Extension, ending as the Central District Director, I moved back to North Carolina in 2011.

Were there any obstacles that you faced along the way to get to where you are today?

LM: I don’t consider them obstacles; I like to think of them as opportunities. During my senior year at A&T, my mother became sick and my father passed away a month before I graduated. While this slightly changed some of my plans, it did not deter me from getting my master’s degree in home economics and continuing my Cooperative Extension career.

In fact, my father’s death and my mother’s sickness helped me to understand that if I could get through what I thought was a life-ending situation, then I could get through anything. Whenever I’ve come up against a challenge or an opportunity, I’ve thought back to how I felt then and used that to encourage myself to go on.

Do you think that there was an expectation from your parents to pursue farming full-time as a career?

LM: They just wanted my sister and me to get an education. However, my father also wanted to leave us our family land, which we were to either farm or build on. My sister and I still own that land. I plant and harvest trees on my portion, which makes me a small farmer.

I want to get your perspective on 1890 land grant universities**. Can you share with me how these universities are continuing to open doors for students and expanding knowledge in the community, whether it’s in ag or other areas?

LM: The concern many of the 1890 land grant universities face today is ag literacy. We are having to help young people, and even older people, understand today’s agriculture. This isn’t just limited to 1890s, but it seems that much more difficult for those universities. As a result, we collaborate and create new ways to attract students and help them understand the value offered through agriculture programs. Once we get them to see that ag is the foundation, it becomes a little easier to steer them towards these majors. Additionally, as 1890s we are looking at ways to get young people interested in production agriculture, including helping them to see how technology plays a key role in today’s farming. Even in Cooperative Extension we play a key role in ag literacy. If we can get the young people in 4-H, we can help them see the wide array of opportunities that exist.

Can you share how you think schools and other youth organizations like 4-H can continue to encourage diversity and inclusion, and empower young people to seek out or follow a path that will result in a leadership opportunity?

LM: I think it needs to start in elementary school. Even at this age, there are leadership opportunities in the classrooms. Youth can become line leaders or lead a project. Schools can also invite speakers or plan career fairs so students will learn about the opportunities that are available to them. Other options can include job shadowing opportunities and college campus visits. They all expose students to various types of leadership roles.

Lastly, what is your vision for the next generation of leaders? 

LM: Ironically, my vision is the vision of my alma mater, NC A&T: “North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is a preeminent land grant institution where high-achieving scholars are engaged in transformative teaching and learning, civic outreach, interdisciplinary research and innovative solutions to global challenges.” And part of the responsibility of getting students ready for A&T, or any other institution of higher learning, is the work, the experiences and opportunities offered by 4-H.

*The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide, non-credit educational network. Each U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university and a network of local or regional offices. These offices are staffed by experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to agricultural producers, small-business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes.**The Morrill Act of 1890 requires each state to show that race was not an admissions criterion, or else to designate a separate land-grant institution for persons of color. Among the seventy colleges and universities which eventually evolved from the Morrill Acts are several of today’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Black History Month is not only about celebrating people and their stories, but about highlighting what so many have overcome in order for them to have a story to tell. Instances of discrimination and inequality are key moments in African American history, and those experiences were often a turning point in the personal and professional stories we hear. After all, stories of success aren’t always easy, especially for African Americans.

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In 1968, Carolyn Williams joined 4-H to cope with the loss of her father. After joining her local 4-H in Palestine, Texas, a diverse rural town in Anderson County, she describes the opportunity as one that “turned all of our lives around.”

Today, Dr. Carolyn Williams is Executive Associate Director of Cooperative Extension* at Prairie View A&M University. Just as her involvement in 4-H became a pivotal moment in her life, she hopes to inspire young people—particularly minority youth—to take advantage of the opportunities available to them through Cooperative Extension.

I was lucky enough to learn more about her experience in a then-segregated 4-H, about how her dreams of becoming a musician evolved into wanting to become an Extension Agent, and about the challenges she faced as an African American woman in academia.

Can you talk a little bit about your 4-H experience?

Carolyn Williams (CW): It was a positive experience. I was kind of shy, so 4-H helped bring me out of my shell. My 4-H agent at the time, who was African American, was very caring. She wanted us to reach our full potential. I inherited the gifts of sewing and cooking from my mom and my aunt, and 4-H was a perfect program for me to focus on those skills.

It seems like your 4-H experience was similar to those of today’s 4-H’ers. Were there any differences between your 4-H journey and those of 4-H’ers today?

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CW: When I was in 4-H our clubs were segregated, so we had black clubs and white clubs. That’s not the case today, but there’s still an opportunity to create more inclusivity. I also didn’t experience programs like National 4-H Congress and Conference, but I appreciate that youth in our communities today have those opportunities.

Can you recall any of your mentors or influences on you while you were growing up?

CW: My mom, who was an amazing woman, as well as my Extension Agent. She made sure we had good posture, enunciated our words, made eye contact, and were confident. We must continue to help our youth today with those soft skills. Many of our current programs help elevate those skills, but we need to do more. We need to show more care and concern while providing programs that help youth grow, improve and advance.


Do you think your 4-H experience influenced your decision to study Home Economics and Education at Prairie View A&M?

CW: My interest in home economics and education started while I was in 4-H. My Extension Agents, as well as agents from other counties, were constantly motivating us. When I finished high school and attended Prairie View, they were still in my life and encouraging me to do well in school, which led me to want to be an Extension Agent. I have a strong background in music—I play the piano and the organ—and I thought I would go that route, however after graduating from high school, I wanted to work for Extension.

I later went on to receive my Ph.D. at Texas A&M in agricultural education, with a focus on leadership and pedagogy, which prepared me for where I am today.

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Were there any challenges as an African American woman getting to where you are today, whether it was in school, your collegiate studies, or getting into your profession?

CW: The big word: Discrimination! I applied for several positions during my 19 years of employment prior to returning to Prairie View. I knew I was qualified for those positions, but I only received one interview, even after receiving superior service awards.

How is Prairie View A&M expanding knowledge and opportunities in the community?

CW: Our 4-H program is the pipeline to a scholarship. We receive funds from San Antonio Livestock Show, Houston Livestock Show, and through the new Farm Bill. We also bring youth on campus for a three-day leadership laboratory. During that time they are exposed to campus life, learn about careers in agriculture and Extension, and find out about available job opportunities. They also get to participate in the 1890** Scholars Program, where they’re offered internships at USDA agencies and offices.

How do you think other schools and organizations like 4-H can continue to encourage equity in education while empowering more kids in diverse populations to be future leaders?

CW: We need to be authentic, honest and transparent about engaging youth in opportunities that will enhance their learning, skills, speaking ability and confidence. It must be an intentional process.

I hope to see more young people of color take on leadership roles, and 4-H prepares them for that. We must elevate our future leaders through exposure and experience. We also need to encourage a holistic approach to learning so that we prepare them for the world.

*The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide, non-credit educational network. Each U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land grant university and a network of local or regional offices. These offices are staffed by experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to agricultural producers, small-business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes.**The Morrill Act of 1890 requires each state to show that race was not an admissions criterion, or else to designate a separate land-grant institution for persons of color. Among the seventy colleges and universities which eventually evolved from the Morrill Acts are several of today’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).