BENTONVILLE -- Colin Johnson was proud Saturday to share his grandmother's legacy with more than 300 people as they gathered to watch a screening of a documentary on the life of Maya Angelou.
The screening of Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise was held at The Record in Bentonville and was sponsored by Wal-Mart's African American Business Resource Group and the Bentonville Film Festival.
Angelou -- an author, poet, singer, actress and civil rights activist -- died May 28, 2014.
She also had connections to Arkansas. She lived in Stamps during her childhood. She also wrote and read a poem in 1993 at former President Bill Clinton's inauguration.
Johnson said he was proud to share his grandmother's story and legacy with people, especially on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. King and Angelou were friends.
Johnson said his grandmother's message is one still needing to be heard today. "She used to say 'I'm a little black woman from Stamps, Ark.,'" Johnson said. "Nobody knew she was becoming Maya Angelou until she became Maya Angelou."
Johnson said his grandmother invested in people and really cared about people. Her message is about endurance and not giving up, Johnson said.
"People need my grandmother's message, especially those occasions when they are feeling a loss or feeling powerless," Johnson said.
Her accomplishments are many, and Johnson said it's amazing she was at "the top of her game" in so many areas.
"She was the best grandmother in the world," Johnson said.
He said his grandmother was an amazing chef and she constantly had people in her home. Cooking was another way for her to "love on" her family and friends, he said.
Wayne Hamilton, chairman of Walmart's African American Business Resource Group, said sponsoring the screening is a way to celebrate diversity and commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. "It showcases diversity in our area," Hamilton said. "It's all about being inclusive."
Hamilton said the event also gave them a chance to recognize Angelou and her connections to Arkansas.
Colleen Smith, the director of development of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Northwest Arkansas, attended the screening. Smith said diversity is important to Northwest Arkansas, and she thought it was important to attend to make more contacts to increase diversity among their advocates.
The documentary will be shown Feb. 21 on PBS, according to Rita Coburn Whack, the co-director of the documentary.
Whack said those involved in putting together the documentary hope people will be inspired by Angelou's life. "That's what we want people to get," Whack said.
NW News on 01/15/2017