Alabama State University News January 11, 2011 ASU Selected as Site for Montgomery Interpretive Center by Lois G. Russell Officials with the National Parks Service have selected Alabama State University as the site for the Montgomery Interpretive Center. Alabama State University has been chosen as the site of the Montgomery Interpretive Center, the third center for the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. That announcement was made Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011, by National Parks Service (NPS) superintendent Sandra Taylor during a news conference at ASU. Taylor joined ASU President William H. Harris, Board of Trustees Chairman Elton Dean, Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange, ASU Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer John F. Knight, Jr., State Rep. Thad McClammy, other University officials and community leaders in making the announcement. The site selection was highly competitive; but Taylor said after extensive evaluations utilizing a process called “Choosing by Advantage (CBA),” the Parks Service chose ASU. The CBA process included evaluations of site development, quality of visitor experience, resource protection and the potential for the Parks Service partnership opportunities. The process also involved public meetings and a newsletter to capture public input. “ASU provided a holistic package to provide an in depth visitor experience,” Taylor said. Taylor said Alabama State University has several advantages as a location. The University already has transportation services available to take visitors to other historic locations in the city, ASU students and staff would be able to conduct tours and provide other support services and ASU ranked higher on the Cost Benefit Analysis. Other ASU advantages included parking, an on-site library, a cultural center and archives assistance. “As an institution of higher learning and a mecca for student involvement, ASU is surrounded by a historic landscape,” said Taylor. “The campus promotes a spirit for intelligential stimulation and understanding. The NPS has recently included education as an additional component to expand the responsibility of interpretation programs and recognizes the significance of a partnership with ASU.” President Harris said the University is delighted to be part of the historic trail. “(The National Parks Service) has selected a site that is accessible located adjacent to I-85 and next to the historic homes of Nat King Cole and the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy,” said Harris. “We will develop a project that will be engaging and will encourage all people to come to hear the story of a movement that forever changed the United States of America and to hear how Alabama and particularly Montgomery had a place in that change.” The National Trails System is a network of scenic, historic and recreation trails created by the National Trails System Act of 1968. The system falls under the direction of the National Parks Service. The 54-mile Selma to Montgomery Trail begins in Selma, winds its way through Lowndes County and into the state’s capitol, reflecting the steps of the more than 25,000 foot soldiers who made the journey in 1965. The Interpretive Center has the support of local leaders. “I was a tenth grader who participated in the march,” said Elton Dean, Montgomery County Commission Chairman and Chairman of the ASU Board of Trustees. “I know its historical significance and through the Interpretive Center, others will also learn the story.” Mayor Todd Strange echoed Dean’s sentiments. “It is significant that this announcement comes on the heels of the 55th celebration of the Montgomery Bus Boycott,” said Strange. “We can now celebrate the march that was heard around the world. We can preserve history and tell the story to our children and our children’s children about Montgomery’s pivotal role in helping to shape this country.” ASU’s National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture will work with the Parks Service in the development of the Interpretive Center. “We have been working on bringing the Interpretive Center to ASU’s campus for more than four years,” said Dr. Janice Franklin, director of the National Center. “We are hopeful we will be open in time for the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March in 2015.” SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.