The second National League of Cities meeting took place yesterday in the city council chambers as members of the NLC team met with Selmians for the second time to discuss their Selma Initiative report.

The meeting was fairly well attended, but not packed.

Several prominent businessmen and local politicians were on hand.

Like Tuesday night’s meeting, the members of the NLC went over the report, which takes a look at Selma’s race relations, education and economic development.

Members of the team took two trips to Selma last year, met with several citizens, religious and political leaders.

They took the results of the two trips and compiled them into the 27-page booklet.

This week, in a trio of meetings, the NLC will hear feedback from the community and will give the community the chance to decide if they would like the NLC’s help to work on the problems.

In Wednesday’s meeting, several citizens expressed their ideas about the report, what it missed and their vision for Selma.

Eleanor Williams spoke first and said she thought a lot of Selma’s problem could be fixed with an attitude adjustment.

“We need a change in attitude in Selma,” she said. “I think manners are a great consideration.”

Williams also said the media should focus on presenting the facts and avoiding generalizations.

She said that race relations have improved 100 percent in Selma and people should try to be more positive.

Jim Tomlinson, a relatively new Selmian, provided one of the positive voices Williams spoke about.

“I think you underestimate yourselves,” he said. “You are a very friendly city.”

Lynn Henderson, public information and attendance supervisor for the Selma City School system followed her.

Henderson spoke in defense of the schools, which some citizens had spoken poorly of in the report.

Henderson said it is important to “distinguish between perception and reality.”

She added that the school system is a model for other school systems across the nation and that 90 percent of the students graduate and pass the graduation exam.

Others disagreed saying the education their children are getting is not as good as the one they got.

One citizen praised the Men’s Conference that took place in Selma earlier this year as a great example of Selma reaching across racial borders.

Others added that Selma’s problems started with economics and the loss of white and blue-collar jobs.

Veronica Smith Ojo spoke about the separation of Selma’s main celebrations, Jubilee and the Battle of Selma. She added that stores charge more in Selma, than they do in other towns.

“Everything is higher in Selma, but we’re not making any money,” she said.

Barbara Barge talked about education and crime. She said parents should be more involved in helping lead their children but teachers could help.

“Parents should step up,” she said. “Good manners will get you where money won’t. As teachers we’ve forgotten how to model that behavior.”

Jim McCarley, of Global Communications International, said last year’s failed Alabama tax referendum could have helped the city immensely as well.

The discussion ranged from taking advantage of Selma University to the Selma 20-20 plan.

Councilwoman Nancy Sewell spoke about the long hours she and others put in on the 20-20 projects, but none of it had been implemented.

She thought the work that committee did might be valuable to the NLC.

Several NLC members agreed.

One speaker, very eloquently said it was time for people to forgive each other.

He then pointed the City Seal hanging above the council members’ which reads Civil War to Civil Rights and Beyond.

“We have celebrations for Civil War, Civil rights, but we have no celebration for what’s beyond,” he said.

Librarian Becky Nichols spoke last, and pointed out the Library had an event for just that.

The celebration of the libraries last 100 years and next 100 years is just that type of event.

“It is (through) organizations like the library, YMCA and ball teams that we are coming together,” she said.

The final meeting will be today from 4-6 p.m. at the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center.

Copies of the report will be available.

The meeting is open to any and all with an interest in the NLC’s work in Selma.

In the end, the NLC members said it will be a community-lead effort to help Selma become a stronger community.

“Our job will be to respond to what the community says,” said Jim Hunt, Vice-President of the NLC and a councilman from West Virginia.