Students from Macon-Bibb County’s Georgia Civic Awareness Program for Students (GCAPS) welcomed two actresses – Jordan Christina Rice (an 11 year old from Atlanta) and Ebony Billups (a 14 year old also from Atlanta) – from the highly acclaimed movie, “Selma,” to Government Center on behalf of Mayor Robert Reichert and the Macon-Bibb County Commissioners. The actresses played two of the four young girls killed in the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.  The tragic event became a focal point in the Civil Rights Movement.

Following a day of interviews (including the ‘Up Next With…’ feature from MaconBibbTV) and visits across Macon, the actresses spoke with the students and other guests about their five call-back audition process, meeting the stars of Selma, seeing the actors who portrayed the brutal white officers, and even meeting Oprah. They shared the whirlwind of emotions and experiences most children could only dream of.  An additional highlight was having Miss Macon, Ninti Chance, and local celebrity Otis Redding III present to welcome and celebrate the accomplishments of these young ladies.

Jordan and Ebony “are two young women who know what they want and will take the paths to obtain their dreams. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to meet these young ladies and once again be in the presence of GCAPS women,” says Miss Macon, Ninti Chance. “They are the perfect example of peer role models who can get children excited and get children succeeding.”

“I learned that no matter how young you are, as long as you have passion you can achieve whatever you want,” says Mount de Sales Academy student and GCAPS member Zeleria Jackson. “These young actresses have taught me that doing what you love has no age limit.”

“I learned that you can achieve your goal as long as you work hard and it pays off in the end,” says Southwest High School student and GCAPS member Talareah Howard.

“I have learned that I can do anything that I put my mind to,” says Mount de Sales Academy student and GCAPS member Caroline Anderson. “Jordyn and Ebony have taught me that although you may be young, you can still do what you are passionate about.”

“Welcoming the young actresses gave our Youth Leadership Program a different way to learn about and connect to the civil rights movement beyond reading historical texts,” says Assistant County Manager Charles Coney. “Our students were able to carry on two hours of unguided and uninterrupted conversations with the actresses and Miss Macon, allowing them to learn more about the events in Selma, more about Macon-Bibb County, and more about each other.”