Brookhaven 5th Annual MLK Day Dinner and Program

While coronavirus health restrictions remain in play, Brookhaven will host its fifth annual MLK Day Dinner and Program Jan. 18 in the Apple Valley Road parking lot of the Brookhaven MARTA station, 1268 Apple Valley Road NE. The event, with featured speakers and “dinner in a bag,” will begin at 5:30 p.m.

In years past, the event has been held at the Lynwood Community Center, once the site of the segregated Lynwood Schools, whose students bravely integrated the DeKalb School System in 1968. However, a different format was required this year due to COVID-19 health regulations regarding social distancing and mask requirements. Planners of the event opted for the outdoor MARTA parking lot to allow guests to dine in their car and view speakers on a stage that will be erected in the lot.

Speakers will include Liane Levetan, who previously served as a Senator in the Georgia General Assembly and as DeKalb County CEO. A full line-up of speakers and performers will be announced soon. Past speakers have included James Brown, the Federal Reserve Bank’s first African-American officer; NFL sports official Barry Anderson; DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond; and Olympic gold medalist, author and Lynwood native Dr. Melvin Pender, to name a few.

“Despite all of the challenges we have faced throughout the year with the pandemic, we are moving forward with #BrookhavenStrong fortitude and still providing this forum to honor Dr. Martin Luther King and Lynwood’s proud history,” said District 1 Councilwoman Linley Jones. “We once again invite the public to join us for an evening that will surely be inspirational.”

Tickets to the event, now on sale, are $10 each and may be ordered here: https://secure.rec1.com/GA/city-of-brookhaven/catalog. Note that YOUR RECEIPT IS YOUR ENTRY TICKET. If you register online, please make sure you have your receipt with you on event night, and all paid attendees (your receipt will show the number of people in your party) are present. You can also purchase tickets at Lynwood Community Center, 3360 Osborne Road, during business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.