Brookhaven to honor ‘Lynwood Integrators’ with MLK Day dinner
Tickets on sale now; public asked to loan memorabilia for event display
Brookhaven, GA, Jan. 5, 2015 – The city of Brookhaven will honor a group known as the ‘Lynwood Integrators’ with an appreciation dinner on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 18, at 5 p.m. at Lynwood Community Center.
Lynwood Park was once home to segregated, all-black public schools Lynwood Park Elementary School and Lynwood Park High School. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation of public schools was illegal, but in many instances the schools were not integrated.
In 1968 a small group of students from the Lynwood schools bravely integrated the DeKalb County School System, entering previously all-white schools. The individuals became known as the ‘Lynwood Integrators’ and were participants in one of the most important civil rights advancements in our nation’s history.
The Lynwood schools were subsequently shut down and converted to the Lynwood Community Center, serving the residents of Lynwood and Brookhaven to this day.
Tickets for the event are on sale to the public for $10 each, and can be purchased at the Lynwood Community Center, 3360 Osborne Road, 404-637-0534. The program is appropriate for all ages and families are encouraged to attend.
The event will include a discussion by members of the ‘Lynwood Integrators,’ an introduction by District 1 Councilwoman Linley Jones, who represents the Lynwood area, and a presentation of a city proclamation.
“We welcome the public to come out and join us for this special event honoring Lynwood and Brookhaven’s proud history,” Jones said.
The public is also asked to loan any memorabilia from the Lynwood schools to display at the event. For more information, call 404-637-0508.
