Forty years ago, the African Latino Society at Ithaca College formed as a way for students to join together during the Civil Rights moment. On Saturday, the African, Latino, Asian and Native American communities will remember the past 40 years and the triumphs the groups have experienced. ALS will celebrate its anniversary with performances and alumni recognizing their achievements and difficulties.

Sophomore Amber Hammonds, ALS public relations officer, said the 40-year celebration is a significant milestone in ALS history.

“ALS is one of the most prominent ALANA organizations on campus,” Hammonds said. “A lot of other organizations on campus were formed after ALS. It was the first. It was the one that preceded everything else.”

Junior Chasity Dittmann, spokeswoman of ALS, said ALS was founded in 1969 by a group of students who felt the need to express themselves in a safe environment.

“ALS was organized by African Latino students that were pretty much seeking a secure haven for students of color,” Dittmann said. “Looking at 1969, it was a time of national civil unrest, but also civil unrest within the Ithaca College community, and that’s why [ALS] was established.”

Dittmann said 50 to 100 alumni are expected to return for the commemoration.

Bill Durrant ’86 was a member of ALS during his fours year at the college. Durrant said he is going to the celebration on Saturday to show support for ALS.

“They bring out the best in what students of color do,” he said. “It’s important for African-Americans to not feel isolated and to have the opportunity to learn about themselves and their culture.”

Terry Martinez, ALS advisor and director of Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs, said it’s important to remember what alumni went through.

“I think back to the alumni that I’ve spoken with from the very early stages and how, for them, it was all about the 1960s civil rights struggle,” Martinez said. “They talked of their part in that movement and all of the racial tension that was occurring, not just on campus, but nationally. For [alumni] it’s coming back to honor that period and those experiences. That is really special.”

The celebration will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday in Clark Lounge. ALANA student organizations will be performing and presenting at the ceremony. Performers will include: Spit That! poetry club, Amani Gospel Singers, senior violinist Nicole Wright and IC Muevete. The groups presenting during the celebration will include the Caribbean Students Association and the Asian Culture Club. Time will be left at the end for alumni to speak about their college experiences with ALS.

Martinez said she recognizes the progress  the ALANA community has made from when it first started during the racial tension of the Civil Rights era to now.

“It’s a time in the organization’s history to take a snapshot of where we are now and to take a look at where we’ve come as an organization and as an institution,” Martinez said. “This is really an opportunity to celebrate the journey because when you think about the reasons why the organization first started and think about where we are now as an institution, it’s an opportunity for people to take pride in that journey.”

Dittmann said the experiences of ALS members today are different than the experiences of ALS members from the previous decades. She said one thing hasn’t changed, however — the sense of community.

“In 1969 there was so much political unrest that manifested during that time,” Dittmann said. “But as far as the diversity, the camaraderie, the respect and the unity of ALS, that’s still there. It’s like a family away from home.”

Hammonds said she is excited about meeting and hearing from the alumni.

“I’m looking forward to hearing what the alumni have to say because they’re going to be sharing a bunch of their experiences from Ithaca, and I’m sure they are going to give us advice on how to deal with adversity,” Hammonds said. “I just want to know how things have changed from then and now and how ALS has evolved.”

Dittmann said the ALS 40th anniversary celebration is not only open to the ALANA community but also to the college community as well.

“Beyond whether you identify with the ALANA community, it’s still a beautiful day to come celebrate students, our creativity, our collaboration and our positive attitude,” Dittmann said. “The idea of everyone expressing their heritage through their talents and their skills, and seeing it manifest on that day, is a reason in itself to come.”