Martin Luther King Jr. Day marchers promote peace in many languages.

DIANA LIEBERMAN

Staff Writer

est Bloomfield's commemoration of
the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
may have been the only one in the
United States to feature speeches in
Hebrew, Chaldean and 10 other languages.
The lines were simple: "Good morning. Welcome
to the Unity March. May we go in peace."
Rachel Lachover of West Bloomfield, a ninth-
grader at the Jewish Academy of Metropolitan
Detroit, recited the lines in Hebrew.
"This is one of the strongest traditions of the pro-
gram," said Steve Wasko, West Bloomfield School
District spokesman and a member of the planning
committee for the Monday event in observance of
the slain civil rights leader's birthday, a federal holi-
day. "While we add and subtract events each of the
seven years, this one remains constant."
- Wasko estimated the number of languages spoken
in the West Bloomfield schools at more than 40.
Adding those spoken in other districts brings the
number up to 50 or 60.
"This really gives us the opportunity to emphasize
the diversity that the event represents," he said.
This was the seventh year for the multicultural cel-
ebration, known as United We Walk. At least 21 pub-
lic and private schools participated in the two-day
event, which culminated in a 1.5-mile walk along
Orchard Lake Road.
United We Walk began Sunday night with readings,
music and a candlelight vigil.
Monday morning's program included performanc-
es by West Bloomfield's Abbott Middle School
Stages program, as well as by musicians from Allen
Park, Avondale and Walled Lake Western high
schools. Keynote speaker was Jennifer Granholm,

WALK

on page 24

Top: About 2,100 marchers participated in
United We Walk, West Bloomfield's celebration
of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Left top to bottom:
Students from Abbott Middle School's Stages program
present "We Have a Dream."

Some of the Notes of Peace pasted on the
West Bloomfield High School walls.
Rachel Lachover of West Bloomfielh a ninth grader
Detroit,
at the Jewish Academy of
was chosen to welcome the audience in Hebrew.

M O VEME r T,

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;as

etroit

etroir.
,
''*'t.,black minister
e. most prom.*
lead the civil rights movement, btif was by no means

r. Km

BREAKE'sT on page 24

