04/15/2026
It's been forty-one days since we lost the Father, the Papi, the visionary that was Melvin Parson. Forty-one days since we lost our leader and executive director. Forty-one days since our world shifted in ways we are still learning to hold.
Melvin was a soil changer.
Over time, he began to see people the same way. Not as broken, but as capable of producing something meaningful when met with patience, care, and the right conditions.
Our interns, staff, board, community partners, funders, supporters, and neighbors are all carrying this loss. Melvin was one of the most compassionate, kind, and tender-hearted people we have ever known and his absence is deeply felt across every part of this community.
And still, what he planted remains.
It was during his time at Dawn Farm that the vision for We The People Opportunity Farm first took root. There was something transformative for Melvin when he placed his hands in the dirt. He began to see the possibilities in the soil—how it could be turned over, given the chance to breathe, and regenerated when tended to with care.
He came to see people the same way: not as they had been labeled, but as they could grow to be. Worthy. Redeemable. Full of life and potential when met with kindness, respect, and dignity.
From those early moments, the work began to grow. What started in Parkridge expanded into something larger, eventually leading to the current home at 1301 S. Harris Road in Ypsilanti. It grew as Melvin did—shaped by his vision and by the community that gathered around it, drawn to his belief in kindness, dignity, and respect.
That vision became We The People Opportunity Farm—a place to grow, heal, and thrive for people the world has too often tried to write off. A place where, as the sign on the farm reads, “kindness and dignity live here,” and where respect is shown through action, opportunity, and care.
Melvin was never separate from this work. He lived it. The very weight this farm was created to address, the impact of systems on Black men, formerly incarcerated individuals, and marginalized communities, is a weight he understood personally. And it’s why his vision was and is so necessary.
Melvin built more than a farm. He built a community. And that community is still here. Rooted in courageous disruption and radical love, We The People Opportunity Farm continues, grounded in the vision Melvin entrusted to all of us, and carried forward by a loving community committed to honoring his legacy.
While we continue to feel the weight of this loss, we are also committed to carrying his vision forward—with care, intention, and resilience.
Please join us in welcoming Lawanda Hollister as Executive Director of We The People Opportunity Farm.
LaWanda’s journey with the farm began as an intern and continued through her service on the Board of Directors. She has experienced this work from the inside—learning, growing, and contributing alongside the very community the farm exists to serve. Her leadership is rooted in that lived connection, as well as a deep understanding of the mission, the people, and the purpose behind the work. She represents both continuity and forward movement—someone who knows where this work has been and is committed to where it is going.
“From the moment I stepped onto the farm in 2020, it supported me, gave me space for learning and growing. I am honored for the opportunity to now give back to something that continues to give to me.”
We are also welcoming Josie Ann Lee as Director of Operations. Josie has been serving as Project Manager for the Good Soil Café initiative and will now step more fully into supporting the organization’s operations—bringing continuity to this next phase as we strengthen systems, clarify direction, and build a foundation for long-term sustainability.
With gratitude, we welcome Melvin Parson II to the Board of Directors, carrying forward both legacy and vision of his father.
“Joining the Board of Directors for We The People Opportunity Farm is a true honor, one I don’t take lightly. This organization reflects the life’s work and vision my father has built, and I’m committed to helping carry that legacy forward. Rooting in the mission of changing the soil so lives can grow, I’m here to learn, to serve, and to be fully present in the work.”
This week, we began again with a new class of interns, the same holistic and collaborative care program, and a renewed commitment to the people at the heart of this work. Our interns remain our top priority, just as Melvin believed they were living symbols of possibility and redemption.
As we move forward, we know many of you have questions about what comes next. The work of We The People Opportunity Farm continues, and as the growing season begins, our focus is on tending the land, supporting our interns, and continuing the work Melvin set in motion.
At the same time, we are taking a three-month operational pause on Good Soil Café. This allows us to steady our foundation and ensure that what we build next is aligned, sustainable, and rooted in the vision moving forward.
We will continue to share updates as they are ready and invite you to stay connected with us through our social channels as this next chapter unfolds.
There will be moments where we ask for support—through time, partnership, or resources—and we trust this community to continue showing up in the ways it always has. The village has always been part of this work. It is the soil in which this mission grows.
If you would like to support this next chapter, you can contribute here:
https://wtpof.org/contribute/
We need you. We thank you. We appreciate you.
We look forward to continuing this work with you—as soil changers in this next season of We The People Opportunity Farm.
Victoria Burton-Harris,
President, We The People Opportunity Farm Board of Directors
