In the aftermath of the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, I sat back and read social media, looked at all the pictures in excitement as I got so see so many friends being acknowledged or being a part of the celebration in one way or another.

As I scrolled through posts I saw hatred and anger because President Obama was coming and all the celebrities. Others were mad because Obama was not staying longer and some were mad just because their commutes were going to take a little longer than normal.

I asked myself, what are we mad about? As a 31-year-old white female, born and raised in Selma, I find myself wondering if things will ever change in this town.

The answer is: No it will not! Why? Because there has to be action to have change. Based on the actions and complaints of community members it shows me that people do not want to change. While on Facebook this morning I saw several post about how trashy our town was and why our guests could not pick up after themselves. My answer was — we do not ask guests in our home to clean up after themselves so why would we do that to guests of our town?

Many circumstances play a role in why the town had so much trash and debris but again things will not change unless we take action. Not long after, I saw a post from a friend that showed a picture of her daughter with a trash bag walking down Broad Street picking up trash. Not once did this child complain about it, she just took action.

She grabbed a bag and gloves and went to picking up what others were taking more time to complain about rather than just doing. That is a problem with our society and I will admit that I am guilty as are many others. We take too much time to complain rather than taking action.

I am proud of my town and I hope that there are days to come when change does happen. Change with racism, change with poverty and unemployment, change in our school systems and most important change in our attitudes.

It starts with the citizens of this town. Romans 12:1-2 states, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We as citizens need to take God’s word to heart.

In conclusion, I want to thank everyone that played a part in this weekend’s events. I do not know you all but a few that come to mind is our government (of all forms): Terri Sewell, for a speech that inspired me and showed me how passionate she is about Selma and the change to come; Jerria Martin, a woman that has dedicated her life to youth and changing this town; and Ruth Stephens for being a generous young woman and taking action to clean up our town without complaints. Most importantly, thanks to those foot soldiers, who have shown us how to fight for what they believe in without violence or hatred but out of pure determination for a change and a better world for all of us.

 

Beth Caver

Selma