By Quinton Arthur
LYNWOOD, Ill. (May 26, 2021) – The Village of Lynwood made history earlier this month with the swearing in of Jada D. Curry as mayor, the city’s first Black woman to serve in that role.
Inauguration
Judging from the excitement of those in attendance during the May 11 Special Meeting of the Lynwood Village Board, Curry’s inauguration was a long- anticipated event for the community. The ceremony was attended by residents, elected officials, and members of other local south suburban communities. Curry replaces Eugene Williams, who served as mayor of the city for 16 years.
The invocation was conducted by Pastor Philip S. France of Living Grace Church of Lynwood. In his invocation, he recognized the importance of service to the community for each of the elected officials.
“We thank you for the service and the posture of service that each and every one of these trustees, who will lift up the hands of this new mayor, to recognize what you said about service; that if any man or woman wants to be great, they must first serve,” Pastor France prayed.
Also sworn into office were Village Clerk Karen Wingfield-Bond and new village trustees David Lilly, Rolanda Clark, and Randall K. Blakely. Outgoing Village Trustees Willie Sims and Kirk Marshall were in attendance and received applause from the audience for their service.
Curry’s comments
During her oath of office, Curry was supported by her husband, Steven, and two children, Jade and Steven Jr.
In her speech, Curry quoted Helen Keller, “I am only one, but still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
Curry plans to continue serving on her platform of “trust, transparency and transformation.” She called upon the crowd to do their part as well to make the community as great as it can be.
“Today, I am asking every Lynwood resident to think about the one thing that you can do to make our village a beacon of light in the south suburbs,” Curry said to the crowd. “It really does take a village and I am counting on each of you to do your part.”
Curry mentioned some of her plans for the Village, including those related to finances, safety, public works, businesses development, programs for youth, and engagement activities with seniors.
She also wants to strengthen the relationship between the local government and community. She plans on doing coffee talks, walks, and streaming with residents to not be reactive in terms of issues, but proactive in community engagement.
“We will establish a greater sense of community, we will no longer be residents of our subdivisions, but we will be residents of Lynwood,” she said.
According to the village’s website, Lynwood was first settled by Dutch immigrants in the mid-1800’s and was incorporated as a city on December 18, 1959. In 1970, the village comprised 1,042 residents; Today, there are approximately 10,000 residents who make the city their home.
Lynwood City Hall is located at 21460 Lincoln Highway, Lynwood, IL.
Related
- Bloom Township elected officials sworn in (May 24, 2021)
- Lolly Lewis and Christopher Gales appointed to Lan-Oak Park District Board (May 23, 2021)
- New and long-serving Thornton Township elected officials sworn in (May 18, 2021)
- Lansing swears in historically diverse Village Board (May 5, 2021)
I believe mayor Williams served as mayor of Lynwood for 16 years.
Thank you, Bill, you are correct. Thank you for alerting us to this. The article has been edited accordingly.