Forward Together: Honoring 25 years of the Delta Regional Authority

For 25 years, the Delta Regional Authority has been a steadfast partner in building opportunity and progress in communities that are often overlooked. Through its unique federal and state collaboration, DRA has provided rural towns across the Mississippi Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions with the investment and infrastructure they need to recover, rebuild, and grow stronger for the future.

As the former Mayor of Selma, I’ve had the privilege of seeing that impact firsthand. Our city has faced its share of adversity, including natural disasters, economic shifts, and years of underinvestment, but Selma is not defined by what we’ve endured. It’s defined by how we come together as a community to rise above challenges and celebrate our successes. The Delta Regional Authority has been an essential part of that story.

In the wake of the devastating tornado that struck Selma in 2023, DRA invested $2.4 million in disaster recovery funds to help repave more than 70 city blocks, improve road conditions, mitigate flooding, and strengthen public safety. These weren’t just repairs, they were lifelines for residents and small businesses who depend on safe, reliable infrastructure every day. That same commitment to renewal is reflected in DRA’s $509,000 investment to establish the Selma Tourism Incubator and Innovation Hub in the heart of our downtown area. 

In 2025, the DRA has announced an investment of nearly $10 million for DRA communities involved in major disaster declarations issued over the past two years. Selma was awarded two grants totaling approximately $4 million to address infrastructure challenges and rehabilitate road infrastructure in West Selma in response to the EF-2 tornado in January 2023.

As demonstrated by these projects, DRA investments represent an ongoing, deep commitment to progress, to partnership, and to the belief that every community matters. That belief is at the heart of everything I did as Mayor and everything DRA does. 

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That’s why DRA matters. 

In Selma, at DRA and across our nation, partnership is the engine of progress. When federal and state leaders work in partnership, guided by local knowledge and grounded in community needs, they create the conditions for meaningful, lasting impact. For 25 years, the Delta Regional Authority has exemplified this model, delivering measurable results through collaborative, community-driven development.

Our work, however, is far from over. To maintain and expand long-term economic growth and development, we must continue investing in the communities that have carried this country forward for generations. Our region is rich in culture, resilience, and innovation—and the Delta Regional Authority helps unlock that potential by providing the strategic resources and partnerships that allow communities to truly thrive.

James Perkins Jr. served as mayor of the city of Selma from 2020-2025 and from 2000 to 2008.