"Living at Fox Run is more
affordable than living in a house.
Maintenance, meals, utilities
it's all taken care of
in one monthly bill."
•
On June 22, Metro Detroiters walked down Woodward to commemorate the
1963 Walk to Freedom.
of the world with which I grew up:'
Syme did not take part in the anni-
versary march on Saturday, but Sunday,
he helped lead an interfaith celebra-
tion and gospel concert along with Rev.
Kenneth Flowers, senior pastor of Greater
New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist
Church, his longtime friend. Excerpts of
the original Detroit "I Have A Dream"
speech were also played at the event.
Many Temple Beth El members attended
along with other
members of the
Jewish community.
"I have watched as
Jews and blacks have
cemented the bonds
between us," Syme
said. "The relationship
frayed at times, but
the ties never broke:'
"Whenever she organized an event,
she always insisted there be Jewish rep-
resentation at any program:' he said in a
speech during the 2009 AIPAC (American
Israel Public Affairs Committee) Policy
Conference. "She shared with me that the
Jews were a friend to Martin and the civil
rights movement and she would never
forget that. Relationships matter.
"Blacks and Jews are connected
together by an eternal garment of desti-
ny," Flowers continued. "We
have both been oppressed,
I ridiculed and ostracized
by society. I cannot help
but speak out on behalf of
Israel and the Jewish people
because it's in my DNA.
And I will continue to be
a friend of Israel and the
Jewish people even when I
receive hate mail and even
Call For Unity
g when it seems the world
Fifty years later,
does not understand:'
Flowers said he's still
Flowers pointed out the
trying to combat
50th anniversary of the
lingering stereotypes
Detroit freedom walk comes
More than 125,000 march
that drive a wedge
at a tumultuous time for the
between some mem- on Woodward during the
city. An emergency manager
June 23, 1963, Walk to
bers of the African
is currently in control of
American and Jewish Freedom.
Detroit's finances; the threat
communities.
of bankruptcy looms; and
"There are members of the black com-
poverty, illiteracy and crime are major
munity who still believe Jews are insensi-
issues. He and others say there's still plen-
tive to their plight:' Flowers said. "Or that
ty of room for improvement in the fight
they control Hollywood or Wall Street.
for racial equality, efforts to get Detroit
That perception is a misperception. Some
back on its feet, and to further unify the
may not understand why it's important
black and Jewish communities.
to have Black-Jewish relations. We're all
"There are still great disparities
human beings, and we all must learn to
between African Americans and white
live together as brothers and sisters —
Americans politically and economically:'
otherwise we will perish as fools:'
Flowers said. "We've come a long way, but
Flowers said his relationship with the
we still have a long way to go. Solidarity
Jewish people started more than 30 years
and camaraderie are still there but they
ago when he was a student at Morehouse
have to be nurtured a little more. Back in
College in Atlanta. He went there to pat-
the '50s and '60s, you could touch and feel
tern his life after Martin Luther King
the problems in a more tangible way. Now,
Jr. who also attended Morehouse. As a
the problems are more subtle; they're not
student he met Rev. King's wife, the late
as overt as they were then. We have to
Coretta Scott King, who took him under
work at it to make sure blacks and Jews
her wing.
keep that solidarity together:'
powst
t
tt•L"
—Elaine Frazis, Fox Run resident,
pictured with daughters Debi and Karen
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June 27 • 2013
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