By Maxine Gross
An enthusiastic crowd gathered at Lakeland Park for a reunion on Aug. 27, many sporting T-shirts proclaiming “Lakeland is my hometown.” The name of the event, Welcome to Lakeland, was inspired by musician Jerry McMillian, who spoke with friends about releasing a single of the same name. More than 300 people came together to celebrate Lakeland, the city’s historically Black community. Pamela Boardly, who helped organize the event, said, “When word of mouth got out, people were excited. People came from everywhere. People came on canes and walkers — they were determined to be there.” Maggie Brooks, also a Lakeland resident, reflected, “It shows there is still unity of people still here and people gone. There is still love.”
