The Links, Inc. Selma Chapter, One Selma, Historic Brown Chapel AME Church Preservation Society, Inc. and the Selma City School System are partnering together to sponsor a teen forum and reenactment titled, A Life Time of Voting in a Democracy.

Juanda Maxwell, chairwoman of the reenactment, said she decided to write the production because she felt like the seniors at all of the area schools should see what people of all races went through to have the right to vote.

In November, there were 32,514 registered voters in Dallas County, but only 18,906 of them went to the polls, which is a 58.15 percent turnout.

Maxwell is hoping the reenactment makes a difference in that number the next time voters go to the polls.

Maxwell said seniors from all seven area high schools are invited in hopes of inspiring them all to pledge to be lifelong voters.

It’s great to see people come together about such an important issue in our community, especially in the city that made history when it changed the voting rights laws in the 1960s.

We hope that all of the local schools will be able to attend the reenactment and watch fellow students, city officials, pastors and more portray the people that sacrificed so much for the right to vote.

The reenactment will be at Selma High School in the auditorium Friday, Jan. 27 from  9-11 a.m.