Power Women Summit 2021: ‘Schitt’s Creek’ actress Emily Hampshire presented the award at the opening night of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit

Smith made headlines earlier this year when a recording of her valedictorian speech at Lake Highlands High School went viral. The Dallas native had planned to speak about the effect of media on young people, but she changed her speech at the last minute in order to address an urgent social issue. Eleven days prior, Texas Governor Greg Abbott had signed S.B. 8, prohibiting abortion across the state. Smith courageously used her voice and her platform to speak out against the highly restrictive new law.

“We need to represent ourselves when our government fails to represent us,” Smith said in her acceptance speech. “It will take all of our voices to fight this, but know that the power rests in your hands.”

Watch the full speech here.

The Power Women Summit is the largest annual gathering of the most influential women in entertainment, media and technology. The event aims to inspire and empower women across the landscape of their professional careers and personal lives. This year’s PWS provides three days of education, mentorship, workshops and networking around the globe – to promote the theme, “Represent.”

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