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SYRACUSE - For Elizabeth Dobynes, Syracuse might have been the whitest and smallest community she's attended on Martin Luther King Day, but it was one of the best, she said.
Nearly 70 people packed the pews and lined the back wall Monday night at Rock Church in honor of the slain civil rights leader. For more than two hours, the group sang, prayed and spoke about King's visionary dream.
Dobynes, vice president of Indiana NAACP, normally attends King holiday functions in larger metropolitan areas with more diverse populations, but attended Syracuse's event after becoming involved in issues involving racial concerns in Wawasee Community Schools in the past year.
On Monday, she applauded the community's efforts to resolve those concerns with the help of the Minority Issues Task Force.
She said the community event captured the essence of King's dream.
"I'm so proud that they saw fit to do this," Dobynes said.
The Fort Wayne resident even suggested that her home could learn a few things from events in Syracuse in the way it has responded to racial concerns.
"I want to keep on encouraging you to keep on doing what you're doing," she told the crowd.
For some of the speakers, the event was an opportunity for healing and soothing of tensions that had riled the community after two teachers were accused of actions some considered racist.
Among the speakers were a teacher and an assistant wrestling coach from Wawasee. Superintendent Mark Stock was unable to attend but provided a statement.
In his statement read by Pastor Sarah Tuttle, Stock called for more work to ensure equal opportunities for all.
"Let us all work together peacefully and without animosity, setting aside our differences and make the dream of equal opportunity a reality," Stock said.
Although a large majority of area residents are white, the event included a diverse crowd of Hispanics, blacks, Asians, native Americans and those of mixed race.
"Out of one blood, He made all of us," Dobynes said in her remarks.
In one of the most moving moments, Jose Vasquez, with guitar in hand, sang "We Shall Overcome" in Spanish. The audience, after recognizing the music, hummed along quietly.
Excerpts from King's "I Have A Dream" speech were delivered in English and Spanish.
Chuck Zimmerman, representing the American Civil Liberties Union, told the audience, "If one person in the community is unhappy with something, they need to speak up and we need to do something about it."
The event ended with music after a ceremony in which candles were lit to represent the "Community of Humankind," "Justice and Equality," "Peace," "Faith and Hope" and the "Spirit of Love."
One of the strongest musical selections was performed by Darlene Crutchfield, a choir director from Fort Wayne. One of her two songs was "I've Been Changed," an old black gospel song.
She and others were impressed with the turnout and the attendance of young children
"It really made my heart feel great that a small, white community honored and took the time to teach the children what Martin Luther King did for us. It was a great thing and it's going to all help us in the long run," Crutchfield said.
