Popular African American TV Talk Show Host Celebrates 3rd Season

Posted by Eric Ojo Latest Headlines, U.S./Canada Friday, August 26th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Fast rising and popular African American Television talk show host, Dr. Macie P. Smith has rolled out the drums to celebrate the third season of her show called ““Just Ask Dr. Macie”,

The programme which now airs on Saltbox TV focuses on caregiving for people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Her show, which can also be viewed on Roku and Amazon FireTV, educates African American families who are caring for family members and others who are living with Alzheimer’s or Dementia.

A graduate with two degrees from South Carolina State University, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Dr. Smith holds a Bachelors in Social Work, a Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership.

Interestingly, she has garnered a far-reaching audience as a published author and an expert in the field of caregiving.

Due to her dedication to continuing her own education and her passion for sharing her knowledge as a content developer on her YouTube channel, this small-town girl caught the attention of one of the co-founders of Saltbox TV.

The popularity of her channel and her dynamic demeanor as a genuine personality and host led to her receiving a broadcast spot on the free, streaming digital platform that features the lifestyles of older adults and is available on Roku and Amazon FireTV. While sharing her story she said: “I was always the one who protected the underdog, so I knew from high school that I wanted to be a social worker”. Dr. Smith said jokingly that due to the fact that she got into trouble for “talking too much in class” made that career choice a no-brainer for her.

As a young woman being close to her parents, she said she didn’t want to venture too far from home when choosing a college.

I grew up in a small town where opportunities were limited, except when it came to a quality higher education experience. South Carolina State University was only about 20 minutes from my house, and I knew it was prestigious and rich in history. I applied and was admitted. It was my first and only choice, hands-down. I obtained my bachelor’s in social work and my master’s in rehabilitation counseling from SCSU.

“While achieving both degrees, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but since I was working for a disabilities agency in Columbia, I decided to use what I had to get what I wanted, and that means mastering the art of person-centered care”, she further explained.

As she worked and learned, she began to realize that she had something special that allowed her to brighten someone’s day.

“With that simple piece of information, that could be life-changing for the caregiving experience. You see, caring for someone with a disability takes a lot of patience and the ability to connect to resources, but only if you know what the resources are, where they are and how to request those resources.

“That was my job — to lift someone’s spirits and to improve the quality of life for those with disabilities and those caring for them with useful, timely, and relatable information”, she stressed.

She said that during her time working with the state’s disabilities and special needs agency, many of her patients began developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, so she started researching and learning in earnest.

“I began taking classes to perfect my craft of dementia-competent care. While I was on that journey, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, so I had the opportunity to learn to grow and develop both professionally and personally”, she added.

Her quest led her to pursue and earn a doctoral degree in higher education leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

“I knew that one day I would want to teach and train college students to become effective gerontology social workers. Because of the knowledge that I gained during my course on developing dementia-competent care practices, I started creating professional development courses for organizations and communities”, she further explained.

It was then that she wrote and published her book, A Dementia Caregivers Guide to Care, specifically with family caregivers in mind.

“My passion for supporting this vulnerable population brought me into the field, but my purpose to build community and champion legislations to better support those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and their caregivers, keeps me in the industry”, she added.

Today, Dr. Smith says she spends her time developing content for Saltbox TV, serving as an assistant professor at Benedict College, and as an elected member of the board of trustees at South Carolina State University.