From racial justice to LGBTQ protections, here’s what Macon leaders hope to see from new mayor

Charise Stephens was busy preparing for a community cleanup event at U Create Macon when she learned President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

“When I found out that he won, it just gave me hope because sometimes I think that we have more in common than differences, but people sometimes want to focus on the differences. I think he’s a uniter, and I was excited to see that he won,” Stephens, founder of U Create Macon, said.

Tears came to her eyes when she heard the announcement that Mayor Lester Miller won the election at his campaign party on election night at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, she said.

“I was so excited to have him be our mayor. He is such a thoughtful, servant leader, and I think that’s what Macon needs,” she said. ““I feel like we’re so blessed to have a leader that loves his community.”

During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, many community leaders stepped up to help people in need in Macon, and those leaders have many hopes and goals for 2021.

In her role with U Create Macon, Stephens said she hopes to get more children involved with the group and on bicycles.

“A little time has made a big difference in these kids’ lives,” Stephens said.

Stephens was named the director of Small Business Affairs for Macon-Bibb County on Tuesday, and she is a member of Miller’s transition team.

As the director of Small Business Affairs, Stephens said she hopes to give small businesses, the lifeblood of this community, the resources they need to thrive.

Macon as a whole should focus on its greatest asset, which Stephens believes is its diversity, she said.

“I think that if we focus on that diversity being a positive instead of a negative, Macon-Bibb County is going to explode with opportunities,” she said.

However, she admits accomplishing that goal will have its challenges.

“Our main challenge is getting people out of their comfort zones. Times are changing, and change is hard,” she said. “I just hope that people will embrace that change because it’s a good thing.”

Getting people involved

Although George Crawley, president and chair of Westside Neighbors United, supported another candidate for mayor, he said he is hopeful for the future, but he doesn’t appreciate the divisive rhetoric presented on the Macon-Bibb County Commission in the past.

“We have people right now who sit on our County Commission who every week they have a negative report to say directed towards different communities and a lot of those communities can’t stand up and speak for themselves,” Crawley said.

Every community in Macon is an asset, and together change can happen, Crawley said.

“That’s really what basically Westside Neighbors hopes to do. We hope to empower people so that they know their self-worth and they know that they can do these things. They can vote and impact change,” he said.

For Crawley, picking up trash off the streets is an essential need for the community.

“I know it sounds simple, but I think simple things are the best way to encourage and get people involved,” he said.

Carl Myers, founder of Equality Enterprises, said he hopes Miller fulfills his campaign promises and looks forward to working with him anyway he can.

He wants to educate and organize with the community to help people thrive, Myers said.

“I just want to see the community get more involved and recognize that they have resources accessible to them,” he said.

Creating unity in Macon

Pastor Jason McClendon of Community Church of God said his goal for 2021 is to connect pastors with county leadership and other community leaders.

“I’m hoping that our newly elected mayor and our city leadership will see that you need pastors of influence to work with,” he said. “Even though our churches are segregated, as pastors, we are called to seek peace for everybody in our community, the rich, the poor, the marginalized, those that have access to resources. We are a voice to help and bring people together.”

The coronavirus pandemic has proved that churches are collaborating and working together to benefit the community, he said, and as a pastor, it is his responsibility to help people like Miller be effective in their roles.

“I think the city needs to connect itself to the church. It cannot be ignored. It’s the churches that are the leaders of the people, and I think there needs to be a closer connection and a synergistic relationship with our city government,” he said.

Although Pastor Chris Carter of The Healing Experience Ministries said he tries not to mix politics and religion, he agreed that Macon needs to be more united.

“People feel disconnected,” he said. “If we could find ways to be united, promote more community pride, finding ways to get the organizations and our government, religion, to work together and to do more, I think that’s how we can accomplish a lot of things.”

Fighting for equality

Scott Mitchell, founder of Macon Pride, said he was impressed with Miller when he opened the Brookdale Warming Center in the first week of his administration, and he is looking forward to working with him. Macon Pride is a group dedicated to creating unity in Bibb County that includes diverse gender and sexual identities, according to its Facebook page.

“My hopes for Macon is to be the most welcoming place for all people, a place where you can be yourself and not have to worry about walking down the street, a place where people can love each other, care for each other, and not be judged for it,” Mitchell said.

To achieve this goal, Mitchell said he wants to get the Comprehensive Civil Rights Ordinance passed to prohibit discrimination in these areas based on race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity or military status. The ordinance was passed by the commission in 2020, but former Mayor Robert Reichert vetoed the legislation.

“I think that Macon has this unique character where people that live here seem to truly care about their community more than anywhere else I’ve ever lived. So, we already have a really good foundation for that here, so I can only see it getting better as the years go by,” he said.

The best way to find equality is to be able to have open dialogue about inequality, Mitchell said, and he’s starting to see some of that happen now.

The challenge of getting people out of their comfort zones can be achieved by working with children, Stephens said. The kids on U Create Macon’s bike team come from all different backgrounds, and they come together as one team, which makes them a model of success for the rest of the Macon community, she said.

“They have a common goal, and they have fun doing it and I think that’s what I want for the community,” she said. “I love my community, and I see the potential. So I’m happy that I’m able to be a positive solution maker for this.”