International food comes to Phoenix Park
Published 7:55 pm Friday, May 25, 2012
The forecast for Selma’s Phoenix Park Saturday calls for warm weather, with sunny, clear skies and a 100 percent chance for really good food, representing cultures from across the world.
The city of Selma will hold Unity in the Community Saturday, beginning at noon in Phoenix Park, located on Water Avenue across from the St. James Hotel. Admission for the event is just $1, with plenty of food and beverages available.
Spearheaded by Selma city councilmen Sam Randolph (Ward 5) and Corey Bowie (Ward 8), this first-time event will showcase music from choirs and groups and vendors, representing multiple countries.
“We wanted to unify the city and include everyone from all ethnicities … this is a time we worship and enjoy one another,” Bowie said in an earlier interview with the Times-Journal. “(And) being that it’s Memorial Day weekend, we have a lot to be thankful for … we have some vendors going to set up samples from native countries; all funds will go to Edmundite Missions.”
Bowie, who said he also discussed the idea for the event with council secretary Temekia Sykes and Department of Planning and Development’s Derrell Alexander, said he wanted to do both music and something international “simultaneously.”
“We’re asking choirs and groups to sing … we’re asking for an A and B selection,” Bowie said. “We would like to invite Selma-Dallas County out for a day of praise and international food. This is the first time, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Randolph, who came up with the “international” theme, said the event is also a way to be open-minded about other cultures.
“In Selma, we have a lot of history in our town among foreign citizens, so we wanted to let them know we appreciate them in our community,” Randolph said. “In Selma, we eat conventional food, so we wanted to taste a part of their culture, their culinary foods. Even though we might have our differences … we are all Selmians, we need to come together.”