The story of Activate Selma, now a community-based 501c(3) nonprofit based in Selma, will be highlighted in a six-page feature in the January 2025 issue of Our State: Celebrating North Carolina magazine.
Since 1933, Our State: Celebrating North Carolina has been the most comprehensive source of information on the people, places, culture, and history of North Carolina. They publish well-written, high-quality articles on subjects of interest to those who live in, visit, or simply love the Tar Heel state.
“It’s quite a long process to work with the magazine's editorial calendar, to find stories in the county they may be interested in, to pitch them, to work with their staff, and of course, to wait for articles to hit the stands,” explained Donna Bailey Taylor, President/CEO of the Johnston County Visitors Bureau, “the story of Activate Selma truly fits the Our State love local theme, and we are extremely excited for the group.”
The article highlights the early group known as the “4 Cups Selma”, that started a grassroots effort to market the Town’s events and to make a difference for the Downtown district. “We wanted to relentlessly market Selma,” said Melissa Dooley, one of the founding members, “so when anything exciting happened in Selma, we sent out publicity, we collaborated with businesses, and we showed up to help celebrate all wins for the town, big or small.”
“We can’t change a town, but you can change yourself. When you do better, the town changes,” stated Cindy Brookshire, another founding member. Through humble beginnings, the four founding members brought ideas to life and people together to make it all happen, writing grants, hosting street concerts, and meeting regularly to champion issues important to the community.
Activate Selma is planning three “Winter Wonderland” events to celebrate the end of the holiday and the feature's premiere on Sunday, January 5 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The events include a Three Kings Fiesta in Art Out Loud Park with Edgerton Memorial United Methodist Church, free s’mores at Coffee on Raiford, and a Make Your Own 2025 Vision Board at Vibe Central. All three events encourage visitors and residents to stroll the length of Raiford Street in Downtown Selma. Copies of the January 2025 issue of Our State will be available at Vibe Central while supplies last.
The newly re-elected Activate board for 2025 includes president Kim Wooten, vice president Ron Hester, treasurer Heidi Hester, secretary Mike Jentes, chief information officer/content manager Chandler Pernell, and at-large members Jeffery Hamilton, Melissa Dooley, and Cindy Brookshire. Donations to Activate Selma are welcome.
Activate Selma, whose vision statement is "We don't complain, we take action!" meets every Wednesday at 9 am at varying locations throughout Selma to spark creative problem-solving. The next meeting will be Wednesday, December 18 at 9:00 am at the Boys & Girls Club of Johnston County’s SECU Community Clubhouse, 609 N. Pollock Street, Selma. All are welcome! This will be the group's final weekly meeting in 2024, as they do not meet on Christmas Day or New Years Day. Wednesday meetings in 2025 resume on January 8 at 9:00 am Old Fashioned Ice Cream, 124 N. Raiford Street, Selma and the after-hours meeting at 5:00pm at the Vault.
For more information on the organization, visit www.activateselmanc.com or follow socials at facebook.com/ActivateSelmaNC, and instagram.com/activateselma/.
