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Earlier this week, the City of Selma announced the termination of the Selma AmeriCorps Neighborhood Development Initiative.

Mayor James Perkins Jr. said in a press release that his office was notified on Sunday, April 27 by the Governor’s Office of Volunteer Services that the Federal Corporation for National and Community Service made the decision to cut the program.

“This abrupt termination brings an untimely end to a program that has not only rebuilt homes but restored lives and strengthened the very fabric of our city,” Perkins said. “I want to be absolutely clear: this decision does not reflect the value or impact of the Selma AmeriCorps team. Our members, staff, and partners have served this city with honor, compassion, and a deep commitment to progress. Their work has been vital to our shared mission to recover, rebuild, and begin to shape a thriving Selma.

Christopher Kosteva, communications director for U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Selma, said that President Donald Trump and the Department of Governmental Efficiency were responsible for cutting $2.5 million in funding to Alabama. Included in that was the Teach for America program, which has helped Selma and other areas around the state.

“Congressman Sewell opposes these cuts that were passed by Congress, which was elected by the people, and signed into law,” Kosteva said. “It is just outrageous.”

Perkins extended “heartfelt gratitude to every AmeriCorps member, partner and supporter who made this program a pillar of community resilience. We will honor your service by carrying forward the legacy of what you began to build.”

Perkins said the program has been a part of Selma for decades.

“Over the decades, this program has closed the digital divide families, advanced K-12 literacy in our schools and prepared countless young people for a lifetime of leadership and learning,” Perkins said. “As we comply with federal directives to close out the program, we call on our state and federal partners to reexamine the role of national service in rural communities. We urge supporters across Alabama and the nation to raise their voices in advocacy for programs that empower local leadership, cultivate young talent, and drive community-led change.”

Kosteva said that he felt like lawsuits will be filed against the Trump administration for cutting a congressional approved program like this. There have been other cuts to other federally funded programs announced in recent weeks.

The latest came Thursday when the executive branch cut $15 million in mental health funding for Birmingham City Schools.

Kosteva said Thursday that Sewell will be making a video statement about the AmeriCorps program “within 24 hours” and encouraged constituents to watch her social media channels for her response.

Regardless of this outcome, Perkins said Selma will continue to move forward.

“Selma is a city shaped by struggle but defined by perseverance. While this chapter of AmeriCorps service concludes, our work to rebuild, restore and reimagine Selma continues,” Perkins said.