Showing Solidarity

West Bloomfield MLK events showcase community's diversity.

Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor

D

'IT i WE'All

1)r. Martin L. King, Jr. Day

West Bloomfield

United We Walk marchers return to West Bloomfield High School after their walk down Orchard Lake Road.

wonderful. Jews spent so many years in so
many communities that didn't necessarily
welcome them that we, of all people, need
to be open to other religions and cultures.
"It's harder to hate and distrust other
cultures if you know them;' Levine said.
Others at the event remarked about the
inauguration this week of Barack Obama,
the first African American to be elected
president of the United States.
"Martin Luther King wanted the blacks
and whites to be equal:' said Seth Betman,
10, of West Bloomfield. "We're fulfilling
that with Obama now Martin Luther King
would be happy."
His mother, Lisa Betman, added, "In

King's time, this never would have hap-
pened — how amazing."
Evan Grossman-Lempert, 11, of West
Bloomfield won the oratory contest for
his age group. The sixth-grader at Abbott
Middle School wrote on the theme, United
We Live. With animated delivery, he spoke
about his Odyssey of the Mind team at
school and how he never really noticed that
out of six kids, five different races were rep-
resented. He was the only Caucasian.
"We worked well as a team; that's how
I know we lived united;' he said. Later he
added, "The more love you give away, the
more you end up with."
Dr. JoAnn Andrees, superintendent of

West Bloomfield schools, stopped to con-
gratulate Evan. She has been involved in
United We Walk since its inception, and was
given the group's first Community Leader
Recognition Award earlier in the day.
"I'm so proud of you:' she told Evan.
"Your message should be all of our mes-
sages."
As the long afternoon program ended
with the candlelight vigil led by Rabbi
Norman Roman of Temple Kol Ami in
West Bloomfield, the crowd had dimin-
ished in number, but not in spirit.
Walking outside with small lights in
hand, the crowd formed a circle of solidarity
and sang "We Shall Overcome" together.

P hoto by Don Co hen

espite weather in the teens, close
to 300 people gathered Sunday,
Jan. 17, for the annual United We
Walk march of solidarity down Orchard
Lake Road from West Bloomfield High
School.
The 15th annual event honored the
birthday of slain civil rights leader Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. The program was
moved to Sunday so people could par-
ticipate in other activities on Monday,
the official observance of King's birthday,
which this year was designated a day of
community service.
United We Walk, a group of adult and
student volunteers, planned a full after-
noon that included the walk; a program
featuring West Bloomfield School District
choirs, essay contest winners and local
members of the famed Tuskeegee Airmen,
a famed group of pioneering black mili-
tary pilots; breakout discussion sessions;
and a candlelight vigil.
Hot chocolate and snacks in the caf-
eteria warmed the cold marchers. Their
hearts were warmed by sharing a common
purpose.
"We live in a very diverse community
and every opportunity to get together in
meaningful dialogue and honest exchange
of ideas can do nothing but help in under-
standing each other:' said Sallyjo Levine, a
Temple Kol Ami member who headed the
food committee for the event.
"This is not the way I grew up. I was in
a segregated Jewish community. I didn't
have the world our children have, and it's

Evan Grossman-Lempert, son of Marci

Co-chairs David Henig and Sheryl Mitchell with food committee chair Sallyjo Levine.

Grossman and Mark Lempert of West
Bloomfield, imparts a profound discov-

Seth Warren and Seth Betman, both 10
and of West Bloomfield, participated in

ery from his winning essay.

the walk.

January 22 2009

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