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Dance
H ang ou t

brate diversity, to celebrate differences
and to respect each other's differ-
ences," she said.
Michael, Carmen and a third
friend, Courtney Youngblood, an18-
year-old WBHS senior, were appoint-
ed student co-chairs of this year's
event. The three met as 7th grade
members of the Orchard Lake Middle
School band in 1995, and have been
friends with a common focus. This
year, the three carried a large yellow
banner, leading 1,000 people on a
snow-shortened walk around the
school this past Monday, Jan. 18.
Carmen Woodruff said the event
showcases the community's diversity
and "brings everyone together."
Michael Schonberger said the walk
is also educational — "a way to show
that it's beneficial for everybody in

to various cultural and ethnic groups.
"I'd say my parents were pretty
much pioneers in this back then," she
said. Her parents, Izzy and Fran
Malin, are long-time congregants at
Temple Beth El.
"I remember being stunned like
everyone else," Schonberger said of
King's death. Living in Detroit at that
time, she remembers being sad and
scared about the violence taking place.
"I remember feeling how sad he would
have been, seeing all the violence that
erupted from his assassination."
Five years ago, Schonberger and
Woodruff found themselves together
as part of a multi-cultural awareness
committee at Orchard Lake Middle
School in West Bloomfield.
They and a few other parents real-
ized how richly diverse the communi-
ty was, and they wanted to
do something to build even
greater unity. They
approached the school board
in 1994 to ask that the dis-
trict honor the Martin
Luther King holiday by clos-
ing school that day. They
also stated that they did not •
want the students to just
stay home, that it was the
intent to do something to
honor King's beliefs by hold-
ing an event that day that
would unite the community.
Hertha Woodruff suggest-
ed a walk.
Appointecr•s a co-chair of
West Bloomfield's first
"United We Walk" on
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
in 1995 with Schonberger,
the two now had something
else in common besides
attending their children's
band concerts.
Above: Jessica Church and Michelle Holliday
Their children noticed
check student art.
their parents' involvement
Opposite page: Hillel Day School students were
and have acted on it.
an enthusiastic parade contingent.
Hertha Woodruff said
Carmen, a 17-year-old West
every community to live without fear,
Bloomfield High School senior, has
prejudice, and hatred."
been interested in the walk from the
The reason for the walk is also clear
beginning. "She always said that as a
to
Hertha Woodruff— it's all about
senior, she wanted to be a student co-
Martin
Luther King's ideas.
chair," Woodruff said. "The project
"His
message was a multi-cultural
has just encompassed our lives."
message,
and it wasn't just to honor
Schonberger said that Michael, a
one
particular
race, but to honor every-
17-year-old WBHS junior, is doing
one,"
she
said.
"Some people have
what has been modeled for him by his
missed
the
message
and thought that it
grandparents.
was
just
an
African-American
holiday,
"He's seizing the opportunity of liv-
but
I
think
it
was
really
to
celebrate
ing in a very diverse community and
everyone and celebrate that America is
realizing how necessary for the future
the home of every ethnicity."
it is for everyone to be united, to cele-

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Detroit Jewish News

1/22
1999

23