Charles A. Smith launches ‘The Lens and The Record’
By Brinda F. Willis, Ph.D.
JA Contributing Writer
Charles A. Smith is a well-known photojournalist in Jackson and beyond. He takes photos of art and news events of the day from around the world and comments on how it affects Mississippi. His comments focus on their relationships to Mississippi’s policy and economics and comparing it to Mississippi’s historic past and present.
In June 2026, Smith launched The Lens and The Record. It is a newsletter putting his personal interpretation on what his camera captures.
The Lens and The Record debuted as an online Substack. It describes what Smith’s camera sees, with commentary focused on the political and economic issues of the day and the past. The Lens and The Record contains Smith’s opinions and thoughts, with a penchant for Mississippi because as William Faulkner reportedly said, “To understand the world, one must first understand a place like Mississippi.”
On a national note, Smith recently submitted a personal perspective piece to the Public Administration Times entitled “Managing Beyond the Ledge: What Performance Data Misses”. The Public Administration Times is published by the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). It offers insights into public administration developments, and includes a quarterly magazine with thematic issues and an online platform publishing articles twice weekly.
Smith was raised in West Jackson and is a proud Provine High School “Ram,” with further study and graduation from the historic Tougaloo College. He is presently a Ph.D. student at Jackson State University, concentrating in Urban Management and Program Management. He expects to complete his doctoral studies in 2027.
Readers can subscribe to The Lens and The Record for free. Donations to support this work are welcome. Please visit substack.com\@charlesanthonysmith or contact Smith via email at info@charlesanthonysmith.net
