Alabama State University News October 30, 2015 Global Ties Alabama Celebrates 50th Anniversary at ASU By Timothy C. Ervin A group dedicated to fostering international relationships through exchange programs throughout the state of Alabama celebrated its 50th anniversary during an annual meeting and luncheon held at ASU. *** Global Ties Alabama (formerly the International Services Council of Alabama), recently celebrated its 50th year at the organization's annual meeting and Citizen Diplomacy Luncheon held on the ASU campus Tuesday, October 27. Global Ties Alabama (GTA) is the premier statewide organization that hosts international exchanges under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State. The event celebrated the diplomatic corps of volunteers and strategic partners of GTA in its mission to share information, initiate commerce and create friendships through face-to-face citizen diplomacy. ASU President Gwendolyn E. Boyd welcomed GTA to the campus and said that ASU embraces the group's mission. "When you talk about global ties, when you talk about international relationships, all you have to do is walk the campus of ASU," Boyd said. "We congratulate you for all the work that you have done. We asked that you continue to look at ASU as one of those places where we embrace what you are doing and we are moving forward in that mission of making sure that our world becomes smaller each and every day, as we work together to make this world a better place." Guest speakers for the event included the Montgomery Advertiser's Alvin Benn and attorney Malika Sanders Fortier, who both were recognized for adding their "voices" to the cause of civil rights. Benn and Sanders shared reflections about the civil rights era, which is a destination topic for many international delegations visiting Montgomery and Selma. Benn has been a voice for civil rights for more than 50 years and has interviewed and written about such civil rights icons as Martin Luther King Jr., and hundreds of others over the course of his career. He recalled the same day he began his career, police found the dead bodies of three civil rights activists in Mississippi: Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman. "It was a tough time; we were targets," Benn said. "You never knew what would happen." Benn also discussed personally receiving death threats, while covering Jimmie Lee Jackson's murder, the Birmingham Riots and other stories during that turbulent period of history. Fortier, daughter of Alabama Senator Hank Sanders, said she sees the Civil Rights Movement as a time of dismantling discriminatory policies and traditions to make way for building anew. "Adjusting is not enough," she said. "We have to build. I see the Civil Rights Movement as a time of tearing down, where you tear down the policies, where you tear down certain ideas, where you tear down certain ways of doing things; you tear down certain traditions that don't serve everybody. And we are in a time now where we must build." She added that true change requires more than simply changing laws. "One of the biggest challenges we have in building the 'Beloved Community' is broken relationships, because you can legislate fairness but you can't legislate a heart change. You can't change people by force; that has to be something that we choose to do." This year, GTA has hosted 287 international visitors from 53 different countries. GTA Chair John Hamilton said it is important for international delegates and visitors to hear first hand accounts of the state's rich civil rights history. "Civil rights and diversity is a global issue, and is the heart of where that issue has been addressed," Hamilton said. "It's invaluable when they come here and hear from people who have actually experienced it and the challenges and successes they've had," Hamilton said. GTA also presented several awards during the luncheon. Carol Williams, international programs manager, and Gwendolyn Boyd, staff associate at the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture at ASU, both were recipients of the 2015 Global Partners Award. Alabama State University and the Hampton Eastchase Hotel were sponsors for the event. For more information, call 256-532-3560 or visit www.globaltiesalabama.org<http://www.globaltiesalabama.org/>. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree 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.