The Fourth of July is a celebration of those freedoms we value but often take for granted; particularly, our independence.

It’s a day to celebrate America, Uncle Sam and the Stars and Stripes. This year, the Fourth of July was also a day to celebrate Selma.

The city of Selma, the Dallas County Commission, the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Selma Association, Americorp, Selma High School cheerleaders, city of Valley Grande and town of Orrville are to be commended for their collaboration in putting together a fireworks display of which everyone in Selma and Dallas County could be proud.

Thousands of people, adults and children alike, turned out Monday to enjoy their independence, symbolized by the fireworks, the playing of military songs and speeches by Selmian dignitaries. The light drizzle couldn’t extinguish the patriotism that flowed through each citizen.

Without the collaborative effort of our local groups, citizens of Selma might have had to go elsewhere. But people like Selma Mayor George Evans and Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard, along with all the others who made Monday night’s show possible, proved you don’t have to travel to Birmingham or Montgomery to celebrate America or experience spectacular entertainment.

The fight to become one united nation, in which all men are created equal with the same unalienable rights, is a battle we’re still fighting today.

Maybe a turnout at a fireworks show is only a small step toward transcending division and coming together as one.

But it was a step in the right direction, which never could have happened without teamwork from the various Selma groups.

God bless the U.S.A, and God bless Selma.