Professional Speakers Bureau International

Walter Smith

TOPICS - • Adversity • Diversity • Fitness • Health & Nutrition
• Personal Development • Sports

WALTER SMITH - PROGRAMS

  • Street Soldier: From The Hood To The Good

WALTER SMITH - BIOGRAPHY

Wrongfully incarcerated for 11 years, Walter Smith was the first person to file a formal motion seeking DNA testing from prison September 13, 1988. Denied access to the new forensic pathological testing nine times over eight years, Walter eventually got his break by and through the efforts of WBNS 10 TV News Anchor, Jerry Revish. On December 6, 1996. Walter became the 38th person exonerated and freed from prison by way of DNA.
 
Focused on continued education and the need for personal development, reformation, restoration and rehabilitation, Walter pursued self-education in law, health and fitness! His formal education consisted of drug and alcohol programs, sociology and an Associate’s Degree, in business management from Wilmington College. Walter is also in possession of two professional and three amateur national body building titles.
 
As an inspirational speaker, Walter has spoken before more than 2000 audiences touring the country, sharing his Against All Odds and Choices testimonial presentations with incarcerated individuals, adolescent middle and high school students; colleges, universities, churches, businesses and other groups across America.
 
Appointed by Columbus, Ohio Mayor, Michael B. Coleman, Walter sat on the African American Male Empowerment Commission which was created to focus on reducing homicides in Columbus, Ohio. Walter was also an active participant of a program created by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland which was designed to close the high school graduation and dropout rate for public school males.

Walter hosted a weekly call in radio talk show, in Columbus, Ohio called Street Soldiers. Street Soldiers was created to address issues dealing with our youth and the overall well-being of Columbus and surrounding communities. As a Radio One entity, Street Soldiers aired every Sunday evening, 7:00 PM till 9:00 PM Eastern. Street Soldiers engineered an energy, in the community, to reduce the city’s homicides to its lowest number in 16 years.
  
Walter’s additional commitment to the community consist of being a member of the African-American Advisory Council which focus on advising, assisting and supporting the school Superintendent on the implementation of the district’s ends policies, as they relate to African-American children. A community activist, the following awards earned by Walter clearly define his commitment to excellence towards helping others.

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WALTER D SMITH, AUTHOR OF: STREET SOLDIER, FROM THE HOOD TO THE GOOD

Having hit the bottom of “rock bottom,” Walter’s book, Street Soldier, From The Hood To The Good, is written on a sixth grade level and paints a literary picture illustrating how bad teenage choices caused him to end up in prison.

From the Pit of Hell; one man’s journey from dope dealing, a $100,000 drug addiction, and robbery in his quest to feed his drug habit, Walter became a suspect for raping three White women. Guilty and convicted for robbery and wrongfully convicted for rape, Walter was sentenced 84 to 216 years in prison. Mainly through self-education and physical fitness (which creates a strong mind), this former thug was determined to reform himself, prove his innocence, and get out of prison so that he could spearhead a campaign to Save Our Children from bad choices and take care of his mother!

To the Pinnacle of Redemption, thanks to a local news reporter and DNA testing, Walter walked out of prison after serving 11 years. Immediately pursuing his childhood dream, Walter became a five-time professional bodybuilding champion and has worked with more than 5000 youth in schools across America. As if that were not enough of an accomplishment for a former felon, Walter engineered and propelled a unified energy to reduce homicides in his home city of Columbus, Ohio, to its lowest number in 15 years while hosting a weekly radio talk show called Street Soldiers!

Since the autobiography of Malcolm X, there has not been a more compelling written story of a convicted felon’s redemptive reform inspired by faith, courage and purpose.
To learn how Walter stopped Brothers from killing each other, continues to inspire youth across the nation to NOT MAKE BAD!

WALTER SMITH - ACCOMPLISHMENTS & AFFILIATES

• Alpha Phi Alpha 2010 Jewel Award for Outstanding Social and Community Service
• The National Council of Negro Women, “Saving Our Children” Outstanding 
         Achievement & Leadership Award, May 31 2008.
• Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, in partnership with Leadership at its Best,
         “2008 African-American Role - Model Award, October 26, 2008.
• The Columbus Association of Black Journalists “Appreciation Award
         for Commitment to Changing Lives Through the Media,” December
         5, 2008.
• Lifeline of Ohio 2008, Infinity Award for Outstanding Collaboration in 
         Support of Organ and Tissue Donation.
• Contributed to the April 5, 2010 passage of House Bill 77 for DNA
         testing and line up identification enhancements for the criminal justice
         system.
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