78 Photo Essay: Micah Harrison

Sumiton City Councilman, Birmingham-Southern College freshman

Words by Stephen W. B. Rizzo | Image by Al Blanton

The Sumiton City Council meets every other Tuesday at 9 a.m. As the city fathers (and grandfathers) spread throughout the Council chambers and maintain social distancing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, one young, fresh face joins them. 

Micah Harrison is not only the youngest member of the Sumiton City Council, having been elected in 2020 at the ripe age of 18, but he is also one of the youngest elected officials in Alabama. No small feat, to be sure, yet it is only one of his many accomplishments. 

The son of career educators Jody and Heather Hockensmith Harrison, Micah has certainly made his parents proud. Besides being the president and valedictorian of the Dora High School class of 2020, he served as Student Government Association president, Beta Club president, and captain of the Scholar’s Bowl. 

But for Micah, it wasn’t all about being in the spotlight. “I loved high school,” he says. “It was a lot of fun…working behind the scenes, setting up for pageants and other stuff…working with the same people all that time [and the] fun of getting to know each other.” 

His passion for working together for a common goal is what prompted Micah to run for public office. He recalls sitting at the dinner table at an early age, listening to his parents and grandparents discuss concerns and problems in the community. It was then that he decided he wanted to run for office one day and hopefully find solutions to those problems. 

One issue that Micah is concerned about is the pending closure of the Pineview Sanitary Landfill. He fears its closure will have a negative impact on the area’s economy and environment. He would also like to see Sumiton gradually eliminate sales tax on food items. “I don't like sales tax on food,” he says. “It is one of the most regressive forms of tax.”

Micah is also in favor of term limits. His view is that no one should serve more than two or three terms. “Twelve years at the most and you’re rid of me,” he says. 

Currently a freshman at Birmingham-Southern College, Micah is still undecided on his major.

Regardless of where his path leads him, there is little doubt Micah Harrison will be a young man worth watching—well into the future. 78