An African American, Smith was one of the strongest advocates for civil rights in the pre World War II era and was responsible for some of the strictest anti-lynching legislation in the country at the time.

[6] Smith used his paper to speak out against controversial racial issues like segregated education and Ohio's "Black Laws" that discriminated against African Americans.

The Gazette is remembered as "one of the better black newspapers of its day, it soon became the principal organ for the dissemination of Smith's political and ideological views and throughout the years it retained an uncompromising integrationist's stance unequaled by any other race or paper".

[7] Harry Smith's plan to end the racial apartheid in America included three phases that attacked the legal, political and social aspects of racism and bigotry.

And finally, Smith attacked social injustice by supporting boycotts of businesses and government services that did not equally serve African-American people.

[8][9] Smith's career in state politics began with support from his mentor Marcus A. Hanna, who also graduated from Central High School.

Hanna, a Republican and one of Ohio's US State Senators in the 1890s convinced Smith to pursue a political career in order to promote change along with his paper.

During his three terms as a rep Smith played key roles in the passing of the Ohio Civil Rights Act of 1894 which levied heavy penalties against businesses that exercised certain discriminatory practices.

During his political career Smith almost successfully fought off the showing of the racist film The Birth of a Nation in Cleveland but after years of litigation the movie was shown.