Granddaughter surprises grandmother with long-awaited yearbook dedication

A woman who suffered a racial snub decades ago is feeling some vindication, thanks to her granddaughter.

News 12 Staff

Jun 8, 2022, 2:59 AM

Updated 918 days ago

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A Long Island woman who suffered a racial snub decades ago is feeling some vindication, thanks to her granddaughter.
Mary Smith graduated from a nearly all-white high school in Idaho in 1964.
She was anxious to see her photo in the yearbook, but when she looked, all she saw was her name.
Smith was one of only two Black graduates at the school, the other was a popular athlete.
Smith was the only student whose photo wasn't shown.
"And all of these years I've carried that," Smith says. "It's like, 'Well, my picture wasn't even in the yearbook, and they must have just tossed it.' That's how I saw it. They must've just tossed it."
Smith's senior photo is now appearing in her granddaughter's yearbook.
Arielle Carter, a senior at Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, decided to post her grandmother's photo on the dedication page of her yearbook.
She says her grandmother's story always stuck with her.
"You know, you learn about the history of Black culture and what we've been through, but when it's this close to you, it just, it hits home for everybody," Carter says. "I feel like people my age really need to look more into their elders to see, "What did they go through?'"
Smith says it was amazing that Carter "felt her hurt" and wanted to make it up to her as much as she could.
The grandmother got to finally see her photo in a yearbook on her 76th birthday.
"I just want to thank her for being the best granddaughter a grandparent could want and for being thoughtful and mindful of others' feelings," Smith says.