Over the weekend, Selma’s Billy Young was awarded the Augustus M. Witherspoon Leadership Award at the Southern Region Convention for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in Jackson, Mississippi.

Young went toe-to-toe with representatives from states across the South, including Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, North and South Carolina and Mississippi.

“Selma is grouped in with all these large cities and yet we hold our own,” Young said. “I always say, ‘Wherever I go, Selma goes with me. This was a win for Selma.”

The road to the regional award began at the fraternity’s district conference, which took place in Montgomery in October and pitted Young against other members across the state.

After clenching that victory, Young competed at the regional level where he gave a presentation and provided a documentation book on his various community service efforts, both in connection with the fraternity and beyond.

Young said that when his name was called, besting representatives from Atlanta, Nashville and other metropolitan areas throughout the South, he had to look to his fraternity brothers for confirmation that he had won.

“I was very surprised, but it was a good surprise,” Young said. “The prize’s home is now in Selma. When I won on the district level, that was an honor. I didn’t expect to go any further.”

Young’s award marks the first time that a person from Selma has received the top honor.

“I believe every person that lives here is an ambassador for Selma,” Young said. “I think the fact I’m from here helped me win the award.”

Young is hopeful that his recent recognition will help in attracting resources to the Queen City, specifically area meetings of the organization.

Young said people are already interested in visiting Selma and he hopes to capitalize on that interest in the near future.