Jul 31, 2023
Few places in the United States embody the push for civil rights equity in both the past and present like Selma, Alabama. The site of one of the final battles of the Civil War, the Montgomery Marches and the infamous Bloody Sunday, this small town of just 20,000 people (80% of whom are African American) has been a symbol of race relations for many generations.
Only few people know this city’s soul and history as well as three-time Mayor James Perkins. Born and raised in Selma, Mayor Perkins was one of the first African American students to integrate his high school in 1971. He later went on to earn degrees from Alabama A&M and Auburn University, before founding his own IT company. During a road trip in Dallas, Texas, Perkins found his calling by chance, and decided to run for Mayor of his hometown. Serving two terms from 2000-’08, Perkins was the first African American Mayor of Selma, and was re-elected to the same post in 2020, a position he holds today.
Mayor James Perkins joins host Doug McVadon for a conversation about the history of Selma, what life was like for James growing up in the Jim Crow era, the challenges he faced integrating Selma High School, and his journey to becoming Mayor. James talks about how integration affected his decision to attend an HBCU, his professional development as a business owner, his path to leadership in public office, and the moment he knew that the world’s perspective of Selma was bigger than he could ever imagine.