{"id":24285,"date":"2016-01-19T15:51:48","date_gmt":"2016-01-19T21:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=24285"},"modified":"2016-01-21T10:10:17","modified_gmt":"2016-01-21T16:10:17","slug":"mayor-emanuel-joins-jewish-african-american-communities-for-mlk-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/mayor-emanuel-joins-jewish-african-american-communities-for-mlk-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Emanuel joins Jewish, African American communities for MLK celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Text by Jay Bouchard
\nVideo by Brendan Hickey<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Star of David, featured prominently in the windows and architecture of Stone Temple Baptist Church, illuminates a rich history between Jews and African Americans in Chicago.<\/p>\n

A former synagogue in North Lawndale, Stone Temple Baptist Church was host to a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event on Monday that brought together the city\u2019s Jewish and African American communities and drew an unexpected guest\u2014Mayor Rahm Emanuel.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sponsored by the Jewish United Fund (JUF) of Chicago and the church, Monday\u2019s celebration included a morning of service in which both communities prepared breakfast for North Lawndale residents followed by an event commemorating King\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we see our shared origins, we see what we might do together,\u201d said Rabbi Shoshanah Conover of Temple Sholom. \u201cThe importance of this event is being able to bring our communities together and say we\u2019re in solidarity in addressing the different ills that are facing our city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Volunteers
Volunteers from the Jewish United Fund of Chicago and Stone Temple Baptist Church serve breakfast to residents of the North Lawndale neighborhood. (Jay Bouchard\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bishop Derrick Fitzpatrick, pastor of Stone Temple Baptist Church, echoed Conover\u2019s sentiment and spoke to the importance of North Lawndale in light of King\u2019s memory.<\/p>\n

Fitzpatrick explained that the neighborhood was once home to a large number of Romanian Jewish immigrants. Furthermore, he noted that in 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Stone Temple Baptist Church as part of his housing advocacy work in Chicago.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. King had a lot of unity with the Jewish community,\u201d Fitzpatrick said. \u201cWe need to maintain that going forth in this generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Monday\u2019s event was titled \u201cWhere are the Drum Majors?\u201d\u2014a question inspired by King\u2019s 1968 speech, \u201cThe Drum Major Instinct.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cA drum major is a person who goes out front and tries to lead,\u201d Fitzpatrick reflected. \u201cWith all that is going on in our community, we need to have people come and talk about being a drum major\u2014a drum major for peace, for justice, to eradicate violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among those who spoke Monday about the drum major instinct was Rahm Emanuel, Chicago\u2019s first Jewish Mayor. Emanuel noted that his family has history in the North Lawndale neighborhood and that his grandfather was likely a member of the synagogue which preceded Stone Temple Baptist Church. Neither Emanuel nor Bishop Fitzpatrick could confirm his grandfather\u2019s membership, but both thought it would have been probable.<\/p>\n

He praised the church\u2019s history of inviting King to speak in 1964 and announced his plans to make Stone Temple Baptist Church a Chicago landmark.<\/p>\n

He said he wishes to make it a landmark \u201cnot only to hold the treasure of the building, but also to hold as a treasure what happened here as we go forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Stone
Stone Temple Baptist Church (formerly a Jewish synagogue) seen from W. Douglass Blvd. in North Lawndale. The Star of David featured in the architecture harkens back to the years when many Jewish immigrants lived in North Lawndale. (Jay Bouchard\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Emanuel\u2019s surprise presence at the event was met by with tremendous applause. The warm welcome comes at a time in which his relationship with Chicago\u2019s African American community is strained.<\/p>\n

In light of the Laquan McDonald shooting and alleged cover up, more than 100 pastors boycotted Emanuel\u2019s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Breakfast last Friday, according to the Chicago Tribune.<\/a><\/p>\n