Angela Smith
Angela Smith was born and raised in Memphis, TN, one of 14 children in her family. Her father was the pastor of a church and she was raised in a Christian, no-nonsense home. And, while Smith works in a stressful medical field and takes her profession seriously, she has always maintained a great sense of humor.
“After graduating from high school in Memphis, I was employed at a Walgreen’s there. One day the pharmacy technician called out sick and I was sent to the pharmacy department to fill in for her. I liked working there and they liked me, so they kept me in the department as a technician. During the time that I worked there, I saw one of the pharmacist’s paycheck and that sealed the deal for me to become a pharmacist, and that’s the truth,” Smith laughed.
Smith was attending Memphis State University with plans to major in business, but she switched her major to pre-pharmacy. After two years of pre-pharmacy, she enrolled in the University of Louisiana-Monroe School of Pharmacy. Once she was accepted into the School of Pharmacy, she was able to earn her pharmacy degree thanks to a partial scholarship she received from Walgreen’s.
“I’m grateful for the financial help I received from Walgreen’s. In fact, I ended up working at the company for 37 years,” she said. In fact, at the urging of her sisters who lived in Milwaukee, Smith transferred from the Walgreen’s in Memphis, TN to work in a Walgreen’s in Milwaukee. She ended up working in the Walgreen’s pharmacy on East Capitol Drive for 17 of those 37 years.
“My sisters kept trying to get me to move to Milwaukee because I was the only sister living in Memphis, though my brothers were still there. I intended to visit for three months, but ended up staying here,” she said.
Now employed as the managing pharmacist at Milwaukee Health Services, Inc. (MHSI), Smith says that she most enjoys interacting with people and helping them.
“Walgreen’s was really fast paced and I was getting burned out so, after 37 years, I decided to retire. When I heard that MHSI was opening up a site on Silver Spring Blvd., I called to see if they needed a pharmacist. They did. I interviewed for the job and I’ve been here ever since.
“I want to make sure that everyone receives good treatment. I especially want to make sure my people receive quality care and information, and that they are treated with respect. That’s always been my goal, whether I worked at Walgreen’s or with MHSI,” she said.
Surprisingly, Smith said that being accepted as a Black female pharmacist in the south was, in many ways, easier than in the north.
“Credibility appeared to be an issue here, mostly among Caucasian men. People in the south accepted me more readily, but when I first started working in Milwaukee, customers acted as if they had never seen a Black female pharmacist before; they questioned and challenged me. When I first moved to Milwaukee there were not that many Black female pharmacists in the area; maybe three or four. At first, I was challenged a lot by customers, but I grew up with a lot of brothers, so men didn’t intimidate me. I let them know that upfront. It’s gotten better; you see more Black pharmacists now so it’s not a problem,” she said.
Between school and working long hours, Smith never married, nor does she have any children of her own.
“I have a big family, so I’ve helped raise some of my older nieces and nephews. You wouldn’t know by looking at my checkbook that I don’t have any kids of my own. My wallet feels like I do because I’ve spent so much money helping them out,” she said.
In her spare time, Smith enjoys visiting schools and informally mentoring the young people with whom she works.
“Occasionally I speak with schools about a career as a pharmacist, but on a regular basis I try to encourage my pharmacy technicians to continue their schooling. Even if they decide not to become a pharmacist, I try to tell them to at least finish school, graduate and get a degree so they can earn a family-sustaining wage. I try to inspire and encourage them by telling them they are too smart to settle for a technician’s job, when they have the potential to be so much more” said Smith.
Smith has enjoyed a long career as a pharmacist, but she said that she wants people to remember her as a person who is truly grounded, friendly and tried to help others.
“I know that I have a great sense of humor and I also believe in keeping it real. I’m not the type of person that wants to be in the limelight, but I love helping people, especially the elderly. I’ve been at MHSI now since 2006, and I hope to retire one day—maybe after I get all these bills paid off,” she said with her trademark sense of humor.