Senate-elect Malika Sanders-Fortier, D-Selma, said it best in an e-mail to The Selma Times-Journal on Wednesday that the 12 Days of Christmas initiated “to show support and love in the days leading up to Christmas to the families of Selma city workers who had been laid off” was a good start.

Fortier ran with the momentum that Pastor John Grayson of the Gospel Tabernacle Church and All Things Possible Community Development Center started as “a great labor of love,” according to the incoming Senator.

“He didn’t go around pointing fingers or focused mostly on complaining about the reality, instead he started doing what he could to tackle the fallout of the problem,” Sanders-Fortier said in the letter. “That is the spirit I wanted to support and highlight with the 12 Days of Christmas. That is the spirit that will help Selma to thrive.”

That is the bottom line.

What’s more important, and something that we agree with Sanders-Fortier on, is that we must show it.

The old saying “actions speak louder than words” is important here.

In 2018, we’re sure the phrases “something has to be done,” “Selma needs to be fixed” and other similar statements were made by numerous people in positions of power, those wanting those positions and the everyday resident.

We can all agree that things need to be fixed, but what we do as opposed to what we say of the situation makes all the difference.

People say it is so unfortunate that the Selma city employees were laid off, but when asked to step up and provide assistance, there are those same people who suddenly cannot be found anywhere.

We are sure that number was low, but also sure that there were those nonetheless.

“We have so many great people doing work in our community, and with a little love and support from one another, we can all flourish as a community,” said Sanders-Fortier. “That is my mission as a recently elected Alabama State Senator, to see each county in District 23 flourish.”

She’s right, we have all we need. The number of people and resources that are available to turn things around is here. We have to use everything we have effectively.

12 Days of Christmas was just the beginning for the good that everyone in the city and county can do if they come together.
Take away all the discussion about who gets what credit.

What matters is the chance to make things better. That should be the end game.

Thanks to a unified effort during 12 Days of Christmas, over 200 children received over 400 toys for Christmas, according to Sanders-Fortier.

Is it that simple to work together, and focus on a common goal? Not necessarily. It takes a lot of hard work and establishing what each person or group wants to accomplish. Find out ways that each entity can build off of each other. 

Don’t lose that momentum even as the new year comes in. Sanders-Fortier said it best, “Selma has everything it needs to finally manifest the meaning of its name- high throne.  Its reach has exceeded its geographical boundaries and it will again and again.  However, in order for that reach to be positive and fulfill its potential greatness, we must work together.”