In a few weeks, thousands of people from all over the world will descend upon Selma to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery.

While the march is indeed a historical event for Selma, we must ask ourselves some probing questions.

How will civil rights benefit from this celebration when today’s so-called civil rights leaders have strayed so far from the messages given to people of all races by the great Dr. King?

Why have today’s self-proclaimed civil rights leaders personally profited from their self-proclaimed version of civil rights and its polarizing effect it continues to have on our great city of Selma?

When, if ever, will racial healing begin in order that Dr. King’s messages of love, good will and racial harmony begin?

How will Dr. King’s dream become real without whites and blacks teaming together to beat back discrimination of all types?

Why should a small number of self-proclaimed so-called civil rights leaders financially profit from the labors and monies of our small community all-the-while Selma is in dire need of modern infrastructure, including modernizing our streets and sidewalks, storm drains, night lightning, etc.

How has this yearly celebration attracted new industries to Selma, new doctors and dentists, new hospitals, new churches and most importantly, new educational opportunities to our community?

Why is that after each new celebration our small town is always left to clean up the mess left behind by the likes of these so-called civil rights know-it-all’s who come but once a year to tell us how to behave like them with hate in our hearts and not love as was the true message of the great Dr. King, who lost his life telling us over and over again to be people of good-will and God willing we would prosper?

What does the Jubilee have to do with Bloody Sunday?

The producers of this event are asking platinum sponsors to fork over money. Who will get this money?

After all of the cameras have long left Selma, will Selma be better off?

My message to these civil rights so-called leaders is to stay away or move away, so we can build a better Selma, an inclusive and modern Selma,which will require all people of good-will throughout Selma, striving together with love not malice; (a) with racial tolerance, not disdain (b) with love, not hate; (c) with a spirit of helping each other, not hindering; and (d) with resolve to create better educational and job opportunities of the type Dr. King and my father attorney J.L. Chestnut Jr. imagined when they took their first and last steps in Montgomery and Selma and last crossed the bridge of opportunity that had been their lifelong dreams, and their beliefs that God’s love prevails over man’s hate and greed.

So I ask each of you of good-will to be aware of false promises.

You will once again hear and join me in building a new Selma of the type envisioned in Dr. King’s “I have a Dream” speech, which was more than mere words from second rate self-proclaimed civil rights leaders with our hard earned money and then return to their homes in distant places.

Selma, I ask you to please join me in my outrage of those who make their living fooling those of us who are willing to be fooled into being outraged about things that do not matter, instead of those things that have permanent worth such as God’s infinite grace and instruction to us to love God with all of our mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves, which was Dr. Kings lifelong message to us.

As I conclude, I quote the great Benjamin Franklin who advised that “justice will not be served until those who are as unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”

— Gerald Chestnut Riberio

Selma