C. Jack Ellis: First Black Mayor of Macon Made History and Friends Abroad for City
by Clarence Thomas, Jr. (thomasjr63@gmail.com), MGI Contributor
In 1999, the citizens of Macon-Bibb County elected the city’s first Black mayor C. Jack Ellis. And by doing so, both made their mark in history.
The return on voters’ investment is considered a good one by many. Here’s a short list of what Ellis accomplished during his eight-year tenure.
• Secured a 19-million-dollar HOPE IV grant for inner city housing redevelopment
• Bought back the Terminal Station from Georgia Power
• Renovated the Middle Georgia Regional Airport
• Initiated the development of Rosa Parks Square
In addition to the aforementioned, Ellis added three international locations to Macon’s Sister City list. Gwacheon, South Korea; Ulyanovsk, Russia; and most notably Elmina, Ghana in West Africa joined Kurobe, Japan; Macon, France; and Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Sistercities.org describes a Sister City relationship as a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. Ellis says given the fact the Macon is around 60 percent Black, it was natural to add Elmina. “I thought it was only fitting that we have relations with Africa. I wanted to make sure we had that connection,” he said.
While in office delegations from Elmina visited Macon and participated in the Cherry Blossom Festival. They also sampled local cuisine, toured historic sites, met with local leaders, and left gifts native to Ghana. These activities while in Macon mirrored what Ellis and various delegations experienced when taking occasional Sister City trips to Elmina he says.
Giving the citizens of Macon and Elmina a chance to develop a personal relationship is what Ellis feels was one of the biggest takeaways for both cities. Ellis mentioned that he didn’t gain anything materially, but he was made an honorary chief and honored additionally by having a prominent Elmina beach named C. Jack Ellis Youth Beach. “We are naturally connected in a lot of ways to Africa. It gave up its people to build the world. It behooves us to maintain a connection with it,” he suggests.
George Fadil Muhammad traveled to Elmina as a result of the Sister City relationship. He considers it a blessing to have stood on an African shore and look west in reflection. “My consciousness was expanded. I got to connect with the drumming community there, creating a oneness with the spirit of my people here,” Muhummad shared. “Mayor Ellis adding Elmina as a Sister City opened the potential for 360 degrees of healing, mental, and spiritual restoration, and redemption for Blacks, Whites, and others.”
Earnestine Wilson of Macon was enstooled and designated as Elmina’s development queen while on a Sister City related trip. Wilson also created a youth literacy outreach with Elmina. “Without him having added Elmina, I wouldn’t have had the chance to be a queen and additionally assist children in Elmina be better readers through my Operations Soft Back Book initiative,” stated Wilson.
The testaments given by Muhammad and Wilson is why he added Elmina to Macon’s Sister City list says Ellis. Each trip he made to Elmina was for the purpose intended he insists. Sometimes it was to deliver medical supplies. Sometimes it was to deliver donated books to challenged schools. Other times it was to participate in the Bakatue Festival, an annual signature event highlighting Elmina’s cultural, historic, and economic significance.
His hope is that the current Mayoral administration will pick up where he left off. He’s disappointed in the lack of respect for the Macon-Elmina tie by the administration following his time in office. He wants the relationship back on track. “It’s important to have human to human relations with others around the world,” Ellis added. “Adding Elmina was a good thing. I would do it again.
