Gay teacher who helped students, including Oscar-winner Julianne Moore, find their voice, takes final bow

Gay teacher who helped students, including Oscar-winner Julianne Moore, find their voice, takes final bow

Richard Floyd Smith wasn’t just a teacher. He was a lifeline for so many of us. He was a mentor, a director, a guiding force who saw what we couldn’t yet see in ourselves. He wasn’t the kind of educator who simply stood in front of a classroom — he pulled us into his orbit, ignited our passions, and set us on paths we never knew we could take. He changed lives, including the life of an Academy Award winner, in ways that words will always struggl…