HELENA — When Wilmot Collins stepped off a plane at Helena Regional Airport 32 years ago, fleeing civil war in Liberia, he never imagined his life story would one day become a book, a movie project, or a source of inspiration for people across the country.
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"I still remember the day, Feb. 17, coming down that plane at Helena Regional Airport," Collins said. "I remember it like it was yesterday."
After escaping violence in Liberia and losing family members during the country's civil war, Collins arrived in Montana seeking safety and a fresh start. What followed was a journey that would eventually take him from refugee to public servant and, ultimately, Montana's first Black mayor.
Today, Collins is sharing that journey through a new book, "Run: The Wilmot Collins Story", but he says the goal is bigger than simply recounting his life.
"The misconception that refugees are here to just consume and not give back is so inaccurate," Collins said.
Instead, Collins hopes his story demonstrates what can happen when people are given an opportunity and a supportive community.
"We didn't do this alone, no way, no how," Collins said. "We got a lot of help from our circles, we got a lot of help from the community, and that's why I'm so grateful to this community."
Collins credits Helena with helping shape the life he built after arriving in Montana.
"I keep saying it, Helena raised me, even though I came here when I was 31," he said. "But I know they raised me."
His path was not always easy. Collins said adapting to life in America meant learning to navigate different cultures and perspectives while developing the resilience needed to persevere through setbacks.
"A resiliency to show that all is not lost when you have one setback," Collins said. "You get up, you wipe your butt, and you keep moving."
That resilience eventually led Collins into public service. Despite becoming a historic figure when he was elected mayor of Helena in 2017, he said he didn't realize he was the first Black mayor in Montana history until after winning the election.
Among those who have watched that journey unfold is Helena resident Joyce Nachtsheim, whose family hosted Collins' future wife as an exchange student. The families have remained close for more than three decades.
"We've watched Wilmot since he got off the plane 30-some years ago," Nachtsheim said. "Obviously they have embraced him. He certainly manifested the good side of what a politician is."
Collins' story also caught the attention of St. Louis-based author and filmmaker Daniel Blake Smith, who first learned about him while watching television coverage of Collins' U.S. Senate campaign.
"And I just couldn't believe this story," Smith said. "I thought, this is the greatest fish-out-of-water story I've ever heard."
Over the next several years, Smith interviewed Collins, his family, friends and community members while making multiple trips to Montana. What began as plans for a screenplay eventually became a book, with a film adaptation still in development.
Smith said Collins' journey stands out because it reflects universal themes of determination, courage and growth.
"This is the kind of person he's become," Smith said. "It's a classic story of an ordinary person doing extraordinary things."
He believes Collins' willingness to step outside his comfort zone offers an example for others.
"Nobody's perfect, and he's not either, but if there ever was someone you want to emulate and think about taking chances in the right way, he's a living example of that," Smith said.
For Collins, the story isn't about politics or personal recognition. Instead, he hopes readers see the possibilities that can emerge from hardship and the contributions refugees make in their adopted communities.
"The world has opened up," Collins said. "We can capture the world just by working hard and doing what we need to do."
As his story reaches new audiences through the book and a planned film adaptation, Collins hopes it leaves people with a simple message: setbacks don't have to define a person's future.
"Thank you, Helena," Collins said.
