Who hasn’t heard the cliché children are our future? An even more true statement is the children who may be leaders will be our future. Those children will be our future leaders in the city both elected and those who strive to lead their neighborhoods and workplaces to success.

Such is the aim of Leadership Selma-Dallas County to help a handful of students in the area become the leaders that are needed in the city.

The adult leadership class, Class XIX, has selected the youth leadership class as their focus as each class picks something to fundraise and help.

We commend the Class of XIX for looking beyond charities and programs in the area and zoning in on those youth who have more power to change Selma than any other groups of individuals besides the current city council.

Who hasn’t heard the ever-annoying cliché that Selma is “brain-drained?” The cliché that explains a particular problem in the community — once children graduate and go to school elsewhere in the state or country, they often do not return. This leaves Selma devoid of skilled workers and entrepreneurs.

How better to curb this issue than to take leaders in town with the most potential and through a leadership program, show them sides of Selma they have never seen before. The program is showing them sides of Selma that these youth probably have the knowledge and creativity to return from school back to the area and change.

We hope the town really comes out for the raffle ticket drawing in support of these youth.

Who hasn’t said that youth are the future — but who has actually put their money behind that statement?

Find a member of the Leadership Selma-Dallas County Class XIX and see how you can change the future of youth in Selma.