• ":

m Alive

outhfield recalls
actin Luther King Jr.

RUTH LITTMAN STAFF WRITER

The Jewish Community
Council joins the Martin
Luther King march.

heir breath formed vapor
trails in the frigid morn-
ing air. But despite a
below zero wind chill,
about 300 people partici-
pated in Monday's
Martin Luther King Day
celebrations, marching a
mile from North Congre-
gational Church to the
Southfield Civic Center.
Eric Gale, 7, said he
was marching with his
father and members of
the Jewish Community
Council "to keep the
dream alive."
"We have long held
support for programs
like this," said Howard
Wallach, a JCCouncil
vice president.
Others — representing
Chaldean, black, and

civic organizations —
said they attended the
event to remember Dr.
King's messages of non-
violence and justice for
all.
After a year punctuat-
ed by upheaval in Los
Angeles, Bosnia and
elsewhere, the 1993 com-
memoration drew the
largest crowd in its
eight-year Southfield
history.
"What's really nice is
that every year we see a
more diversified crowd,"
said Nimrod Rosenthal,
community relations
director for the City of
Southfield. Mr. Rosen-
thal, a Tel Aviv native,
said Southfield is living
up to its slogan: "An

International City."
"We're really becoming
more and more so," he
said.
Hundreds packed the
Southfield Civic Center
Pavilion after the march
to listen to music and
speeches by community
and religious leaders.
Rabbi William Gershon
of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek, referring to
teachings in the Talmud,
called racism unmitigat-
ed evil.
"It is the responsibility
of every human being to
eradicate it," he said.
"There are issues that
divide us and we must
struggle to overcome
them ... But we must
never forget the values
that unite us — the val-
ues of Martin Luther
King Jr."
The Rev. James Lyons,
executive director of the
Ecumenical Institute for
Jewish Christian Stud-
ies, delivered the key-
note address. Afterward,

participants sang the
song most identified with
Dr. King, "We Shall
Overcome."
"Martin Luther King
brought blacks and
whites together," said
Elliott Attisha, who
attended with members
of the Chaldean
Federation of America.
"This couldn't have come
at a better time — espe-
cially with what's going
on in the Persian Gulf."
Greg Thrasher, a
Southfield resident, said
that dedication to Dr.
King's dream must
extend beyond the day's
celebrations.
"This is an Andy
Warhol event," he said,
motioning out toward the
Pavilion. "It's kind of
pretentious."
Mr. Thrasher said
human relations should
be cultivated through,_;
instruction every day —
not just on Dr. King's
birthday. 0

Nation Of Islam
Speaker A No-Show

RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER

A

s quickly as a small
group of Jewish,
Christian, and
Moslem students
taped neon green protest
signs to the walls of a
University of Michigan
building, other students
ripped them down.
The fliers were part of a
protest against the univer-
sity-sponsored appearance
of Khallid Mohammad, a
minister representing

Louis Farrakhan's Nation
of Islam. Mr. Mohammad
was invited to speak
Monday by a university-
appointed committee of
students and faculty.
Supporters of Mr.
Mohammad tore the fliers
down and defended the
scheduled event.
But Mr. Mohammad
didn't show up.
The Nation of Islam
ordered its ministers,

