Macon Magazine

THE HISTORIC PLEASANT HILL NEIGHBORHOOD, ADJACENT TO DOWNTOWN MACON, HAS BEEN A HOTBED OF BLACK EXCELLENCE SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 1879. SOME OF THE MOST NOTEWORTHY INDIVIDUALS IN AMERICAN HISTORY HAVE ROOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT TREND STANDS TO CONTINUE BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF A COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP GROUP – THE PLEASANT HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION (PHNO). LET'S HEAR FROM SOME OF ITS BOARD AS THEY EXPOUND ON PHNO'S PRESENCE AND WHAT EACH INDIVIDUAL IS PERSONALLY BRINGING TO THE GROUP'S EFFORTS, WHICH AIM TO LEVEL THE SOCIOECONOMIC PLAYING FIELD ON BEHALF OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S RESIDENTS. "P leasant Hill reminds me of my birthplace, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I feel that kind of connection working and living here that's like being back home." These words, uttered by Tedra Huston, testify to the power of this historic neighborhood's culture since its establishment in 1879. She knows this well, because her journey brought her back to Macon in 2006 following a few years away. Huston was smitten by the city in the late 1990s as an undergraduate student at Mercer University and later while attending Mercer's Walter F. George School of Law. During the last sixteen years, this mother of four had worked in various corporations and law firms. Huston found her current professional footing when she was hired by the Macon-Bibb County Community Enhancement Authority three years ago serving as executive director. This job opened the door for her to revitalize the childhood home of music legend Little Richard and transform it into a resource center and historical commemorative site that serves as an anchor in Pleasant Hill, following a delicate relocation across I-75 to its current address on Craft Street. The Community Enhancement Authority also reopened the Booker T. Washington Community Center after being closed for six years, a facility which gives Huston the responsibility of bringing together a team of tailor-made program presenters and businesses who use the center as a platform for human development. Another way Huston is cementing her commitment to Pleasant Hill is as vice chair of the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization. This group began as an ongoing meeting of concerned residents with deep roots in Pleasant Hill, and eventually evolved into a collective of Pleasant Hill advocates and activists working side-by-side with community organizations and other engaged residents of the neighborhood. As gatherings grew, along with a laundry list of what each person wanted to improve about their community, so did the need for formal representation with teeth. The group agreed to formulate an executive board, steering committee, by-laws and obtain 501(c)(3) nonprofit status – which Huston and her fellow board members collectively worked on – and today that group is known as the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization, or PHNO. "We wanted to make sure the people of Pleasant Hill had a voice," shared Huston. "This organization is a symbol of power working for them and this community." The empowerment of Pleasant Hill is a necessary development, according to PHNO members. A look at the organization's executive board and steering committee should lay to rest any apprehensions residents have about formal leadership, and put anyone not working in the neighborhood's best interest on notice. The organization has forged better relations with residents, neighborhood institutions and stakeholders to host cleanups, forums, mini- festivals, food distribution, holiday dinners, back-to-school supply giveaways, and other community outreach activities. Setting agendas and the pace is PHNO Chair Erion Smith, a neighborhood activist and aspiring civil servant that has been working diligently for some time to improve Pleasant Hill. Smith has recently been leading the Festivals in the Hills, monthly get-togethers that were funded by a Downtown Challenge grant. "The Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization, and what it means for our neighborhood, is a new beginning of hope. It just brings back hope to our community, knowing that somebody has your back," Smith remarked about his time leading the organization. But he emphasizes the need for participation from more Maconites – even just coming out FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: TEDRA HUSTON SHOWS ONE OF THE BUILDINGS SHE'S REVITALIZED, THE LITTLE RICHARD HOUSE. PHNO PRESIDENT ERION SMITH STANDS IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE ICONIC NEIGHBORHOOD ENTRANCE SIGNS. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022 | maconmagazine.com 109

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