Melba Smith

Melba Smith, 69, of Fayetteville, Ark., died in New York City on March 20, 2014. She was born Jan. 15, 1945, in Fayetteville, Ark., to Edgar Smith and Minerva (Hoover) Morgan. She was a 1963 graduate of Fayetteville High School, attended AM&N College in Pine Bluff, Ark., where she received a degree in business administration and was a cheerleader. Melba also served as seminar designer for the Women's Division of the United Methodist Church and resource coordinator for Southern Africa for United Methodist Women at the United Nations. Her work for human rights encompassed deep understanding of the political spectrum at home and across the world, placing her in the sphere of world leaders and great thinkers from President Nelson Mandela and President Bill Clinton to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Following retirement, Melba continued to advocate for human rights, especially for women and children. She was a founding member of the United Nations African Mothers Association, which raises support for women and children in Africa, the Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Northwest Arkansas African American Heritage Association, which documents and preserves African-American history as American history for current and future generations. She is survived by her sister, Patricia Polk; her niece, Melinda Bridges; great-nieces, Theressa Bridges and Raven Petty; and a host of cousins, friends and colleagues. Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Thursday, April 3, at Sequoyah Methodist Church in Fayetteville, with the Rev. Sara Pair officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Cemetery in Fayetteville. Donations may be made in Melba's memory to NWA African American Heritage Assn, (a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt org.) c/o Arkansas Archeological Survey, 2475 N. Hatch Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72704; or the United Nations African Mothers Association, 777 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017. To sign the online guest book, please visit www.nelsonberna.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Nelson-Berna Funeral Home & Crematory of Fayetteville.