SELMA – A group of about 30 people protested Thursday about an hour in front

of The Selma Times-Journal offices on Water Avenue.  It was the second day

they protested.

Among the protestors were participants from the Freedom Foundation and

former city councilman Johnny Leashore.  The protest was organized by Faya

Rose Toure, who said it was in response to the newspaper not reporting her

activities at a council meeting earlier in the week and at prior council

meetings.  She is a Selma attorney and is married to State Sen. Henry (Hank)

Sanders.

During her address to the council earlier in the week, Toure made claims

that council president Cecil Williamson was a member of a “hate group” and

showed pictures she said were of Williamson attending a rally of the group.

“I have been before the (city) council four times to talk about the

president who belongs to a hate group,” she said, “and not one time did you

report it. You are biased in your reporting on racial issues in this city.”

During the protest Thursday, Toure and a Freedom Foundation representative

met with Dennis Palmer, Times-Journal publisher, and Leesha Faulkner,

editor, and talked about her concerns with the newspaper and her reason for

calling for the protest. Toure furnished copies of photographs she had

passed around at the Selma City Council meeting Tuesday night to Faulkner.

After the meeting, Palmer said, “We met with Mrs. Toure and appreciated the

opportunity to discuss her concerns.  We feel we established good

communication on the matter, hope and expect that will serve us each well

going forward, something Mrs. Toure acknowledged was important to her and to

us.  As we go forward, we will have a factual, well-balanced news story on

Mrs. Toure’s assertions about Mr. Williamson, and his position on same.”