For the last 19 years, the residents of West Bloomfield have come together to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Parents, teachers, students and community leaders all celebrated the vision and dream of this dynamic leader. The event started on January 20th with a walk down Orchard Lake Road, and then the participants gathered in the West Bloomfield High School Auditorium for a program. The student leaders and community officials addressed the crowd echoing King’s sentiment of a dream filled with peace, unity and inclusion. Superintendent Dr. Gerald Hill was clearly moved attending his first United We Walk Celebration. “We are here to honor the life of Martin Luther King and how he has made a lasting impression,” said Hill. The keynote speaker was David Merritt, a West Bloomfield High School graduate and fashion designer, who donates 20 percent of his revenue to fund college scholarships. Even the elementary students participated in the day. Their posters graced the tables at the entrance of the auditorium. This poster from Ealy Elementary school sums up the day perfectly — children from every race and religion holding hands.
Motown Savvy 
Awesome and inspiring coverage of a community celebration of Dr. King’s birthday! Great job! Thank you Carla!
Thanks so much, Carla, for capturing the essence of a GREAT community event! Keynote speaker, David Merritt, invited each of us to a “call to action” by sharing our dreams and the steps we take to accomplish them, as did Dr. King. It is delightful to see the photo you captured of our children’s creative expressions showing their dream of UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY. Each West Bloomfield School participated in this MLK365, inspired Showcase of Values initiative. How great to see youth share their dreams with us all! KUDOS to the West Bloomfield students who submitted their visions and to the teachers and administrators who made these displays possible.