Ocilla's first black mayor, Melvin Harper, embraces challenges and emphasizes transparency with a focus on moving the city forward

'Better for Ocilla' is not just a slogan or campaign catchphrase but a sincere pledge to improve the lives and grow the city where Mayor Melvin Harper was born and raised

BY PATRICK DAVIS

The Rural Progressive & Afro-Southeast Georgian

Admittedly, Harper says he doesn't see himself as a politician.

The new mayor is also the pastor at Rehoboth Fellowship Church. As a first-time candidate who qualified to run in the summer of 2023, he admitted that he prayed about running for office before making his decision.

Harper stated, "I am a servant, and I am a preacher first. I heard from the Spirit of God, and he told me that it is time to do something".

Harper won in a close election and earned enough votes to avoid a runoff.

One of his priorities was to focus on economic development.

Economic development is vital to all cities, especially in rural Georgia. The town of Ocilla, with a population of more than 3,000, is no exception. It is off Interstate 75 and one hour north of Valdosta.

One of the most prominent tourist attractions that attracts hundreds of tourists is theSweet Potato Festival.

The organization's mission was to represent and promote the sweet potato industry and growers in Georgia. The first festival in Ocilla was so successful that the organizers made it the festival's permanent home. 

One of the new businesses in Ocilla is Jack's Restaurant. This new location was initially estimated to bring 50-60 new jobs to Ocilla, offering comprehensive benefits such as health and dental insurance, flexible scheduling, and weekly employee pay.

Jack's has been an increasingly popular place for residents and a growing number of town residents or tourists.

Besides good food, bringing jobs helps to lower the current  21 percent poverty rate --according to the most recent Census--in majority-black Ocilla.

Melvin Harper became Ocilla’s first black mayor by avoiding a runoff in a crowded field of mayoral candidates and was officially sworn into office in October 2023.

Harper is filling the unexpired term of the former mayor, Horace Hudgins, who passed away in the summer of 2023.

Harper was quoted in local media as saying that his victory means more to him than just making some history in the city.

“I never really thought about being a history-maker during the campaign. It was more important that our citizens make the right choice at the poll. Being made aware that I was the first black mayor didn’t come until after I had won,” said Harper.

Harper told the Voices of the Village podcast that the support he received had humbled him, primarily when he built a coalition of support that included black and white voters.

Within a year, Harper had to prepare the city of Ocilla for severe weather events such as Hurricane Helene in September 2024, its aftermath, and the most recent snowstorm in late January.

Hurricane Helene caused billions of dollars of extensive damage to Peach State's agriculture, forestry, and power grid and caused some people to lose their lives.

Additionally, Helene hit Georgia just before harvest for cotton crops, causing a loss of 500,000-600,000 bales and destroying crops like blueberries, bell peppers, and squash, leaving most of it unsalvageable for some farmers.

Utility companies reported more than 500,000 power outages.

Harper stated that the preparation for and aftermath of Helene helped to bring the rural community together, especially after the devastating hurricane produced a State of Emergency alert by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

Power lines are down, traffic lights are not working, fires are approaching the local hospital, and cell service and Wi-Fi are down.

These were examples of chaos caused by this extreme weather event with winds above 100 miles per hour, but Harper and local officials, such as the police chief, fire chief, and clerk, worked tirelessly to serve the residents.

Harper did receive a helping hand from one of Georgia's U.S. senators, Raphael Warnock. Within a few hours, a service center was opened, and Ocilla residents had access to two daily meals for eight consecutive days.

Ocilla's mayor has been tested, and despite potential roadblocks, he states that he humbles himself, looks out for all people, and tells himself to calm down and slow down.

The message is to build a broad coalition—regardless of political affiliation—and be intentionally accessible, transparent, and empathic in challenging situations like Hurricane Helene.

In conclusion, Harper states. "No matter how hard we are hit, we are all the same while hurting."

'Better For Ocilla' is not just a slogan or campaign catchphrase but a sincere pledge to improve lives in his hometown.

Mayor Melvin D. Harper II- Ocilla Call For Genuine Leadership- Facing Racism- Hurricane Helene Relief