With social media, there are more ways than ever for people to point out problems that they are passionate about, and the community continues to show their passion for wanting the city to be clean and free of trash.

Amy Carmichael decided to take the comments on social media and turn them into motivation to start a campaign.

With the help of Judge Bob Armstrong and the Dallas County Children’s Policy Council, community members created a “Keep it Clean, Selma” campaign. The group is planning a clean-up day May 9 from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. beginning at Hope Academy.  We are excited to see people in the community stepping up to do what they can to change the appearance of Selma and give tourists a much better first impression.

Community members that have been expressing their concerns will now have the opportunity to join forces and make a difference in the city.

Carmichael said she hopes to have a clean-up day once a month and to continue the project throughout the year. We hope the project continues to build month to month and more people continue to get involved to not only clean the streets of Selma, but to keep them clean.

The idea behind the campaign is to not only physically clean up, but to also mentally clean up by changing attitudes and staying positive concerning what is said about Selma.

It makes sense. When people get involved in a project like cleaning up the streets, it gives them pride in their city. When they have pride, they are more invested in their hometown and are prouder of where they live.

“Keep it Clean, Selma” has a chance to make a real difference in our how people see and think about our city.