More than 30 members of the community came together Monday evening at the Larry D. Striplin Jr. Performing Arts Center to brainstorm solutions to curtailing the issue of youth violence in Selma.

Selma citizens and representatives from more than three wards participated in the session to voice their concerns and show support.

“If we don’t do something about youth violence in Selma, our community won’t grow,” Catsby Jones, board chairman of First Cahawba Bank, said.

James Durry, retired Selma educator, came to the committee meeting to seek solutions for his community.

“I’m here to observe, to digest, to add [my input] and do whatever I can to rectify the issue of violence and prevent more from happening,” Durry said.

Selma City Council Ward 4 representative Angela Benjamin is part of a 10-person steering committee who have been meeting on the topic since September.

“We want citizens to come together to solve an issue, in this case youth violence, in Selma,” Benjamin said.

Callie Nelson, county extension coordinator for Dallas County, said she’s passionate about community development and urges residents to get involved.

“We want you to get involved in the process,” Nelson said. “We want to engage citizens to be a part of community and to identify what the problem is and see how we can fix things.”

Selma Mayor George Evans said there are people in Selma who desire change but don’t have a voice. In addition, he believes the city can move forward once adults, who set the tone for the youth, become better examples.

“I believe this meeting is important because we have a serious problem with crime among the youth in our city,” he said. “We adults need to be the best role models for our youth and somewhere along the way, we have not been the best example. I’m convinced that if we all get on one accord — the churches, the schools, the adults, the parents — we can make a difference.”