She has a background in diverse mediums including theater, television, and film.
Smith argues that true liberation requires economic independence. To that end, she launched the in 2020, a worker-owned grocery and café in a Detroit food desert. Drawing on the Islamic prohibition of riba (usury/interest), the cooperative is funded entirely through zakat (charity) converted into qard hasan (benevolent loans). Members pay back over time with no interest, and profits are reinvested into the community. sharifa jamila smith