Meet the 18-year-old who just became the youngest Black mayor in the country

An 18-year-old college freshman is now the youngest Black mayor in U.S. history after beating out his opponent for the position in a small Arkansas town.

Jaylen Smith, a recent graduate of Earle High School, said although he was “confident” he’d win the runoff election Tuesday, he was still shocked when he received news of the victory. He will be the mayor of Earle, a town of just under 2,000 people, according to 2020 census data, near Memphis, Tennessee.

“I felt so grateful! I had the craziest facial reaction when I won! It was such a blessing,” Smith told NBC News, adding that his parents are proud of him and have supported his campaign “every step of the way.”

Read more on NBC News here.