Greenville, GA, March 27, 2023 – The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) unveiled a new Civil Rights Trail historical marker recognizing Richmond D. Hill, Georgia’s first Black mayor, on Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Greenville. GHS dedicated the new marker in partnership with The Odessadale Preservation Committee and the City of Greenville.

The marker joins over 50 historical markers across the state that make up GHS’s Georgia Civil Rights Trail, an initiative that uses historical markers to document the struggle for human and civil rights from the period following Reconstruction to the modern movement in the mid twentieth century.

Richmond D. Hill, a local funeral director, entrepreneur, and activist, was among the founding members of the Meriwether County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Through the NAACP, Hill assisted the efforts to educate, organize, and register rural African-American voters after the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Hill was elected as mayor of Greenville in 1973, making him the first African American to be elected mayor of a municipality in Georgia. A record number of elections across the country resulted in the appointments of Black candidates that year, including two other trailblazing electoral wins in the state: Andrew Young, the first African-American US Congressman since Reconstruction, and Maynard Jackson, the first African-American mayor of a major southern city in Atlanta. Hill served as mayor for nearly ten years before retiring from public service.

“The Honorable Richmond D. Hill’s story is about our nation’s promise of liberty and justice, a promise that was denied much of his life,” says Dr. Tony B. Lowe of the Friends of Richmond D. Hill and The Odessadale Preservation Committee. “His improbable rise to the office of mayor in the small city of Greenville is a reminder that the modern Civil Rights Movement had a footing in rural communities outside of the bright lights of our urban centers. Because he dared to lead 50 years ago, we are stronger as a community and nation when everyone shares a seat at the table of humanity and civic participation. Every African-American mayor elected in the history of Georgia stands on his shoulders. We are pleased that the Georgia Historical Society recognized his important place in Georgia's history.”

The marker dedication took place at 101 North Depot Street in Greenville. Speakers included the Reverend Lonnie L. Thornton, Sr., Pastor, Burks Chapel United Methodist Church; Charlene Glover, Mayor, City of Greenville; Breana James, Historical Marker and Program Coordinator, Georgia Historical Society; Dr. Bob Patterson, Board Chair, Meriwether Chamber of Commerce; Robert Moreland, former County Commissioner and City Councilman; Dr. Tony B. Lowe, The Friends of Richmond D. Hill and The Odessadale Preservation Committee; and Virginia Hill, City Councilwoman and daughter.

The marker text reads:

Richmond D. Hill:
Georgia’s First Black Mayor

In 1973, Richmond D. Hill became the first African American to be elected mayor of a municipality in Georgia. Following the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the NAACP began a campaign to educate, organize, and register rural African American voters. Hill, a local member of the NAACP, was instrumental in leading Black voter participation efforts in Meriwether County. This grassroots effort resulted in him becoming the county’s and the city of Greenville’s first Black councilman in 1968. His subsequent successful campaign for the mayor’s office in Greenville illustrated the impact of the Civil Rights Movement and voter registration efforts in the rural communities of Georgia. Elections across the country in 1973 resulted in a wave of Black elected officials. Mayor Hill served the city for nearly a decade and died in 1992.

Erected by the Georgia Historical Society, The Odessadale Preservation Committee, and The City of Greenville

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For more information about the Richmond D. Hill: Georgia’s First Black Mayor historical marker dedication or the Georgia Historical Society marker program, please contact Keith Strigaro, Director of Communications, at 912.651.2125, ext. 153 or by email at kstrigaro@georgiahistory.com.

ABOUT THE GEORGIA HISTORICAL MARKER PROGRAM
The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) administers Georgia’s historical marker program. Over the last 25 years, GHS has erected more than 300 new historical markers across the state on a wide variety of subjects. GHS also coordinates the maintenance for more than 2,100 markers installed by the State of Georgia prior to 1998. Online mapping tools allow users to design driving routes based on historical markers, and a mobile app helps visitors locate and learn about markers nearby. Visit georgiahistory.com for more ways to use Georgia’s historical markers and experience history where it happened. 
 
ABOUT THE GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation. 
To learn more visit georgiahistory.com.