When the Selma City Council ultimately decides whether to rename a portion, or the entirety, of Lapsley Street after civil rights activist Amelia Boynton, it will have plenty of community input to consider.

Nearly 50 residents attended Saturday’s meeting to voice their opinion on the possibility of renaming the street.

Selma City Council members Michael Johnson, Cecil Williamson, B.L. Tucker, Greg Bjelke, Bennie Ruth Crenshaw and council president Corey Bowie, presided over the meeting.

For Selma resident Jack Shannon, renaming a portion Lapsley Street after Boynton is about compromise.

“I feel we should rename a portion of Lapsley Street to honor some who paid a price when a lot of people would not have done it,” Shannon said. “And now, if we are talking about bringing Selma together, why can’t we compromise? I know it is a lot to ask of some people to give up what you believe in, but remember, change is inevitable.”

Crenshaw, who represents Ward 7 and where a large part of Lapsley Street is located, recently restarted the debate over the renaming of the street, agreed compromise was key to the discussion.

“We need to be on the same page, and we need to listen to each other,” Crenshaw said. “I think the whole deal is to understand and look deep in your heart, and let’s get off the surface of how we see things and let’s not continue to live in the past because it is not going to help any of us.”

Paula Cleveland, who lives on the 800 block of Lapsley Street, said renaming the road as it passes through Selma’s Ice House District would be a well-deserved honor for Boynton.

“In this town, there are so few streets that are named after black people, and Miss Boynton made a sacrifice on that bridge that so many of us would not have taken,” Cleveland said. “She is 103–years-old right now and God is keeping her here just for this. I would love to live on a street named Boynton Street, so I am asking the city council to rename Lapsley Street Boynton Street.”

For others, the historic importance of the Lapsley family to Selma should not be overlooked. Alida Hines, whose grandparents once lived on Lapsley Street, said Boynton should be honored in another way.

“I am actually here to ask that the name is not changed, not because I do not honor the sacrifices made by the Boynton family, but I do believe Selma’s history is based on the community of all people,” Hines said. “And I think there are a variety of ways we could honor this woman and this family, but the name Lapsley is based on history. If we erase that name, we are erasing history.”

Bowie said comments and recommendations presented during Saturday’s meeting would be considered during an upcoming meeting of the council’s administrative committee.

“We don’t know when the committee will meet, but it will be in the next two weeks,” Bowie said. “And if one of the proposals stands out to the committee, and it’s what the community wants, that is what our recommendation will be, in my mind.”

Addressing those gathered, Bjelke said the large crowd and the varying opinions heard during Saturday’s meeting were clear representations of the passion Selma residents have for the future of their city.

“This shows the fire and the love for Selma, and I like this,” Bjelke said. “It shows that you all want the best for our town.”