Dr. Shanequa Smith of Restorative Actions was presented with Westside Together’s (WST) Best of the West Award (BOWA) at the Westside Champions Celebration on Dec. 9. 

As a restorative practitioner in Charleston, West Virginia, Dr. Smith’s work centers around joy, education, and connecting people to their desired opportunities. She says that through joy, people feel respected, can find their purpose, and are in the position to want to learn. A central focus of her mission is empowering people with the knowledge needed to sustain themselves, their families and their communities. 

“We know through education that when people learn, they do better, and when people do better, they can become self-sustainable when they’re connected to opportunities,” Dr. Smith says. 

Dr. Smith also is the founder and a co-collaborator at West Virginia Black Voter Impact Initiative (WVBII). The organization’s goal is not only to encourage people to vote, but to get them civically engaged by meeting lawmakers, running for office, and making sure they know they have a voice in their community. 

Additionally, Dr. Smith strongly focuses on building relationships with the youth. This type of work includes partnering with local schools to support them as a community member. She mentors young girls, even volunteering as a Girl Scout troop leader on Charleston’s West Side. Dr. Smith says guiding the youth is important because it is “easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults.” Outside of schools, Dr. Smith works with Dr. Octavia Cordon of Aspire Achievement Project (ASPIRE) to plan fun kids’ activities like bowling, vision boarding, or Friendsgiving. 

“[We are] just trying to create another positive space for our youth where they can see positive role models and hopefully inspire them to do different things,” Dr. Smith says. 

Dr. Smith is a co-founder of ASPIRE and has worked closely with Dr. Cordon for many years to support the West Side. Together, they hold an annual trunk-or-treat event at housing complexes, where they give out candy and food. They invite community organizations to participate by sharing information and resources. ASPIRE partners with Acts of Kindness to give out free Halloween costumes to children a few weeks prior to the event. Dr. Smith says donating the costumes to kids whose parents may otherwise not be able to afford them helps those children feel included during the Halloween season. 

ASPIRE also has a community cafe that they run monthly with events and conversations. “We’re definitely creating an intentional space for us to come together, learn and grow, and build our skills so we can become more self-sufficient,” Dr. Smith says. 

In addition, ASPIRE works to support other spaces that are on the West Side. Dr. Smith says that when the Westside Champions Celebration was held at the Midian Safe Haven, she learned that the Midian Leadership Project was looking for mentors to come in and talk to young girls at the center. For 2026, Dr. Smith and Dr. Cordon are looking forward to being out in the community, building hope, and spreading positivity. 

When Dr. Smith was notified of her Best of the West award, she was grateful to be acknowledged, as recognition is rooted in the principle of joy. She strongly believes in “giving people their flowers while they can still smell it.” She says this is because sometimes our society does not say great things about people until they have passed away. 

“So in my practice, it’s very important to acknowledge people, let them know how we appreciate them, and thank them for all that they’re doing for us,” Dr. Smith says. “Because sometimes, this is like gas in your soul. You know how you put gas in your car – you fill it up. It encourages us and gives us strength.” 

As part of recognition efforts, Dr. Smith emphasizes the importance of finding community members who may not always be “up front and center” or receive media coverage, but they are doing essential grassroots work. She notes that Westside Together plays a key role in identifying and uplifting these individuals. 

“So to tell [Westside Together] thank you – we thank them, we honor you, and also to maybe give them a little support to help them continue to work,” Dr. Smith says. “I think it’s something that I hope that the Westside Together continues to practice.”