Christopher Holmes Smith was born in Montclair, New Jersey on May 26, 1967, to Phyllis Carter Smith and the late James Nelson Smith, both of Buckingham County, Virginia.
Christopher grew up in East Orange, New Jersey and spent his summers at the Buckingham family farm. A gifted student at an early age, Christopher graduated from Montclair Kimberley Academy in 1985, received his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology from the University of Chicago in 1989, and his Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Media and Cultural Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and 2001.
Christopher had a distinguished professional career. A noted academic scholar and innovative thought leader, Christopher served as a Professor and Faculty Chair at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California for more than 20 years. A trailblazer in his field, Chris was also the Founder of the Media, Economics and Entrepreneurship Program at USC and displayed a deep commitment to enabling participation in the 21st-century economy for women and African Americans. A global intellectual voice, Smith served as faculty-in-residence and delivered research presentations at leading universities in Shenzhen, China; Johannesburg, South Africa; Copenhagen, Denmark; Oxford, England; and Dublin, Ireland.
Throughout his life, Chris was described as gregarious and funny with incredible intelligence, integrity, generosity, and charm. A Renaissance man, Chris lived his life fully and with deep enthusiasm for a broad range of interests. A curator of life, Chris loved books, music, art, culture, food, international travel, golf, yoga, and meditation. He was a fervent sports fan with savant-like knowledge of literally every sport, with football, boxing, track, tennis, and ping pong as his favorites. Chris could often be spotted drinking his favorite Matcha tea and reading the Financial Times while simultaneously cheering loudly for the New York Giants. And like his father, James, Chris loved nature, plants, and horticulture and was known to have a green thumb.
Christopher always shared that his absolute greatest joy was his family. A devoted husband, Chris met his wife Salaam in New York City 30 years ago and they loved each other ever since. They were married in Buckingham, Virginia in 2002 with Revered Charlie Smith officiating and joyfully celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary last year. A doting father, Chris described his son Asa and daughter Nina, whom he affectionately called “Ace” and “Neen”, as energetic, wise, and curious human beings, the mind-blowing delights of his life and the sources of his most soul-stirring sensations of pride and joy. A loving son, Christopher drew great inspiration from regular conversations with his mother. He was a brilliant, generous, and spiritual man who lived a life dedicated to family, friendship, service, and the pursuit of knowledge and justice. His legacy and impact across generations will always be remembered. Christopher’s sincere kindness, unwavering loyalty, and unconditional love that he extended to us all are everlasting.
Christopher is survived by his wife, Salaam Coleman Smith; son, Asa William Smith; daughter, Nina Malindy Smith; mother, Phyllis Carter Smith; brother, Vincent Smith and his wife Nahla Quader; nephew, Ghabriel Davis; father-in-law, Dr. Stanford Coleman; sister-in-law, Dahomey Coleman; and a loving community of extended family and friends.