Alabama State University News October 16, 2015 NPR, WVAS to Live Stream Event at Historic Dexter Avenue Baptist Church As part of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott, ASU’s WVAS-FM 90.7 is teaming up with National Public Radio to host a conversation between civil rights footsoldiers and today’s youth. *** In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, National Public Radio (NPR), along with ASU’s WVAS-FM 90.7, will host a conversation between some of the footsoldiers of the Civil Rights Movement and the young people who will share their vision for the future. This live-streaming stage conversation will be held at the historic Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, a centerpiece of the boycott, on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. The event will be hosted by NPR’s Michel Martin (“All Things Considered”) and is part of the national touring series titled, “NPR Presents Michel Martin: Going There.” Part of the city of Montgomery’s 60th anniversary commemoration, the event is free and open to the public; however, RSVP is required. Reservations can be made online at www.nprpresents.org<http://www.nprpresents.org/>.​ Candy Capel, station manager for WVAS, said she is thrilled to be part of the national touring series. “We are extremely happy and proud to share this historic site and all of its associated history with NPR,” Capel said. “And the fact that the church's pastor is an ASU alumnus and current alumni director is certainly an added bonus.” Martin will be joined onstage by: * Taylor Branch, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning “Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-63”; * Ebony Howard, managing attorney for the Alabama office of the Southern Poverty Law Center; * Dr. Gwendolyn E. Boyd, president, Alabama State University; and * The Rev. Robert Graetz, Rosa Parks’ personal friend and the former pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church whose congregation openly supported the Boycott. Belle Monique, a Montgomery, Ala., native and the daughter of jazz musician Samuel P. Williams, will perform along with ASU alumnus Ron Handy, great-nephew of W.C. Handy, who was known as the “Father of the Blues.” The renowned Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church Choir also will perform. NPR will broadcast a live audio stream and record the event for a featured segment on an “All Things Considered” weekend broadcast. The discussion will continue online using the hashtag #busboycott60 and following @NPRMichel and @WVAS. “NPR Presents: Michel Martin Going There” is made possible by Kresge Foundation, and by a collaboration between NPR and WVAS. About NPR NPR connects to audiences on the air, online, and in person. More than 26 million radio listeners tune in to NPR each week and more than 30 million unique visitors access NPR.org each month, making NPR one of the most trusted sources of news and insights on life and the arts. NPR shares compelling stories, audio and photos with millions of social media users on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat; NPR News and NPR One apps; online streaming, podcasts, iTunes radio; and, connected car dashboards to help meet audiences where they are. NPR's live events bring to the stage two-way conversations between NPR hosts and the audience in collaboration with the public radio Member Station community. This robust access to public service journalism makes NPR an indispensable resource in the media landscape. In collaboration with NPR Member stations, “Michel Martin: Going There” is a live national events series guided by NPR’s award-winning host Michel Martin to tackle real issues affecting people’s lives. Martin connects people with different perspectives, histories and experiences, allowing them to share ideas, hopes, frustrations and solutions in sometimes difficult, often poignant, but always engaging conversations. During its first season, Martin held “Going There” events in seven communities across the country, where she explored everything from the ethics of football, to education reform, to diversity in theater, to immigration. This year Martin will take the studio to the story in Des Moines, Montgomery, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Fort Collins and Chicago. Each event in the “Going There” series is live tweeted with an additional, invited group of commentators extending the conversation beyond the local audience. The public can follow and participate in these conversations on Twitter following @NPRMichel and @WVAS. About WVAS WVAS 90.7 FM is a member-supported public radio station licensed to, and located on the campus of, Alabama State University in historic Montgomery, Alabama. It is managed by a full-time professional staff and operated by professional part-time support personnel. Broadcasting at 80,000 watts 24 hours a day, WVAS is the only full-time jazz station in the southern half of Alabama and it reaches 17 counties in the south central portion of the state. Its music, news, and public affairs programming is also heard globally via the worldwide web courtesy of the station's Internet stream at www.wvasfm.org<http://www.wvasfm.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.