Brookhaven Cancels 2021 Lynwood Park Community Day

BROOKHAVEN, GA — The city of Brookhaven canceled its annual Lynwood Park Community Day event this year, the city announced Thursday, due to ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19. The event was scheduled for May 1.

“For over 40 years, Lynwood Park Community Day has been an annual day of celebration when the community gathers and remembers the historic importance of Lynwood. That is why canceling this year’s event was such a difficult decision, but the committee must prioritize the health and safety of all,” District 1 Councilwoman Linley Jones, who represents the Lynwood Park community, said in a press release. “Next year, we hope to be beyond this pandemic and to hold this important community celebration in the usual, joyous way.”

Lynwood Park Community Day is an annual celebration of the Lynwood Park neighborhood, which was established in the early 1930s and was the first Black subdivision in DeKalb County. Residents throughout the following years suffered discrimination and segregation, the release said.

"The celebration allows for new and former residents of the community to gather as one and reflect on the significance of Lynwood Park's history," the release reads.

Brookhaven City Council members unanimously approved an official historic designation for Lynwood Park in October 2020, the first historic designation made by the city.

“When we get out of the pandemic, hopefully by this summer, we are going to have one hell of a celebration in Brookhaven,” Mayor John Ernst said in the release.