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Selma City Council President Billy Young was the guest speaker for the Black History program at Antioch Baptist Church in Orrville on Feb. 4.

Young, a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. chapter in Dallas County, said he was grateful for the invitation to speak outside the Selma City limits. The theme of Young’s speech was, “God never fails.”

“I had the honor of serving as speaker. Pastor John Church and the Antioch church family were so hospitable,” Young said. “The address focused on remembering all of the difficulties and struggles that Black Americans have experienced but how those historical events such as the 1965 Voting Rights Bill, the integration of colleges and universities, and the election of President Barack Obama all serve as points of remembrance that God never fails.”

Mark Neely, also a member of the Black Belt Alphas, introduced Young during the program. Young called Neely’s introduction “unforgettable.” Neely, who is running for a Dallas County Commission seat, explained his remarks.

“I was raised under the old-school southern church deacons, which would do devotion and there’s a part of a song that says, “The fire keeps on burning, I can’t hold my peace,” Neely said.

City of Selma Municipal Judge Donovan McGuire also attended the event.