Special Report
REMEMBERING THE DREAM
Let Freedom Flower
Engage the hopes and resolve of civil rights icon, dynamic pastor exhorts.
(see related story on page A14).
A student of nonviolent civil
Editor
protest, King inspired blacks and
whites alike until silenced by an
n booming oratory strik-
assassin's bullet in April 1968
ingly familiar to that of his
as he stood on the balcony of
legendary spiritual men-
the
Lorraine Motel in Memphis,
tor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
where
he had come to support
Rev. Kenneth Flowers shared
the
striking
sanitation workers.
his dream of peace, justice and
King's
charisma,
fortitude
equality on Jan. 17 before an
and
resolve
helped
bring about
audience of Jews and non-Jews
the
Civil
Rights
Act
of 1964 and
who work in the Detroit Jewish
the
Voting
Rights
Act
of 1965,
community.
two
signature
moments
of the
Rev. Flowers, 46, is a pastor at
tumultuous
sixties.
Greater Mt. Moriah Missionary
Flowers said King "fought to
Baptist Church in Detroit. He
bring
about justice and libera-
described himself as one of the
tion
and
equality, and a more
slain civil rights leader's "apos- Rev. Flowers, a human and civil rights activist, addresses the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration
just
and
humane
society, by
tles of freedom;" his strident
gathering at the Max M. Fisher Federation Building.
attempting
to
establish
the
address certainly underscored
beloved
community
—
the com-
that.
munity
where
love
and
peace
are
the
gov-
forum
on
religion
and
race.
In
1965,
the
Jerusalem and sanctity within her walls."
Of all the dreams that Flowers enunci-
erning
norms
and
where
equality,
justice
two
marched
together
from
Selma
to
Building
to
a
crescendo,
he
declared:
"I
ated in a cadence reminiscent of King's
and freedom are the guiding principles."
have a dream where one day, the holy land Montgomery.
famous "I Have A Dream" speech during
A
Christian
ambassador
to
the
Jewish
indeed will be holy ground, where peace
the historic 1963 civil rights march on
community for more than 20 years, first in Moving Impact
and love shall live forever more. I know
Washington, the one that echoed most
Listeners gushed about Flowers' mes-
Los
Angeles and now in Detroit, Flowers
it
won't
be
easy;
we've
got
some
difficult
among the pro-Zionist crowd longed
sage and magnetism. "If people had just
expressed
hope
for
bet-
days ahead. But if God
for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
a portion of his passion for peace and
ter
relations
between
be for us, who can be
dilemma.
"I
have
a
dream
brotherhood,
the world would be such
blacks
and
Jews.
"We
against us? With God,
"I have a dream that Israel will one day
a
better
place
said Carol Kaczander,
have
shared
each
other's
all things are possible." that Israel will one
have peace with the Palestinians and all
Federation
senior
campaign associate. "He
sorrows,
felt
each
other's
of her Arab neighbors:' Flowers said. "I
so
eloquently
reminds
us to look beyond
pain
and
supported
Black-Jewish
have a dream that one day, Israel will be
day have peace with
a
person's
surface
to
the
content of their
each
other's
causes:'
he
Bonds 'To Grow'
a nation that will not be threatened by an
character,
which
is
what
matters in the
said.
the
Palestinians
Flowers also under-
Arab neighbor, but will always have peace
end
anyway"
scored another fervent
within her borders. I have a dream that
and all of her Arab
The Jewish Community Relations
Rapt Attention
dream: that "blacks
the lions shall lie down with the lambs.
Council
arranged Flowers' appearance.
As
evidenced
by
a
few
and
Jews
will
continue
I have a dream that nation shall not rise
neighbors."
Flowers
co-chairs
the JCRC's Black-Jewish
tears
shed,
it
was
a
stir-
to grow in friendship
up against nation, but shall live in peace
Clergy
Alliance.
He
has been to Israel five
ring
morning
for
the
and
understanding
of
together"
times
since
1964.
His
church has a syner-
125
Jewish
communal
one another and sit
Flowers pronounced unconditional
Rev.
Flowers
gistic
relationship
with
Temple Beth El in
professionals
gathered
down
together
at
the
support for the Zionist movement and
Bloomfield
Township.
at
the
Max
M.
Fisher
table
of
brotherhood
Israel's right to exist, just like King, who
P.J. Cherrin, JCRC assistant director
Federation Building
and sisterhood."
believed in the biblical connection of the
for
public affairs, is a personal friend of
in
Bloomfield
Township.
Flowers
had
Flowers
cited
King's
friendship
with
Jewish people to God. Flowers said King
Flowers.
"Rev. Flowers is a man of faith at
just
returned
the
night
before
from
an
Rabbi
Abraham
Joshua
Heschel,
one
of
also would have supported "the right of
the
top
of
his mountain:' Cherrin said.
American
Israel
Public
Affairs
Committee
20th-century
America's
most
profound
Palestinians to have their own state with-
"He's
a
fearless
holy man gifted in
mission
to
Israel.
At
the
home
of
Israeli
thinkers
and
theologians
and
a
teacher
out llamas, Hezbollah and other extrem-
President
Shimon
Peres,
Flowers
received
at
the
Jewish
Theological
Seminary
in
ists seeking to destroy Israel:'
Freedom on page Al2
the Martin Luther King Jr. Israel Award
New York. The two met at a 1963 Chicago
He added, "I pray for the peace of
Robert A. Sklar
I
.114
January 24 • 2008
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