With an emotional tribute to his wife, Levi Peterson Jr. accepted the Hal and Bettye Thurmond Award from the Hopkinsville-Christian County Human Rights Commission during Thursday’s 47th annual Unity Breakfast.
Peterson took several seconds to regain his composure before asking his wife of 60 years, Margaret, to stand.
“Your fingerprints are on this award for the difference you made in my life,” Peterson said. It was her “patience, kindness and tenderness” that helped him reach his potential, he said.
Peterson was the first Black administrator at Hopkinsville High School. Known for his compassion and stern discipline, he still has many admirers years after his retirement. His vision, principles and positive attitude made him a consistent mentor to students.
At a signing in February for his book, ”The Transformation of a High School Dropout,” several former students and well-wishers stopped by the Pennyroyal Area Museum to see Peterson and reminisce about their time together at the high school.
A native of Birmingham, Peterson began teaching in Christian County in 1968 at Gainesville Elementary School. He was a witness to segregation and the eventual integration of Christian County’s public schools. In 1974 he became an assistant principal at HHS. He retired in 1994.
Both Peterson and his wife were unaware that he would receive the Human Rights Commission’s most prestigious award Thursday morning at the James E. Bruce Convention Center, and both said they were overcome with emotion when they realized he was the recipient. Hal and Bettye Thurmond (now both deceased) were among a small number of white Hopkinsville residents who advocated for racial equity beginning in the 1950s.
Receiving recognition for their hours of humanitarian service during the coronavirus pandemic were Jennie Stuart Medical Center and the Salvation Army. They shared the Mayor’s Unity Award.
The Christian County Health Department received the newly established Judge-Executive’s Unity Award. The awards lauded the three agencies for their diligence and service in caring for the Christian County community.
Mayor Wendell Lynch praised “Team Jennie,” describing how the hospital converted one floor to a COVID-19 ward and how employees worked extra hours to keep pace with the ever-changing pandemic conditions.
Lynch noted that the Salvation Army provided 8,000 nights of shelter, helped 238 people from the street find permanent housing and served 46,368 to-go meals during the pandemic.
Judge-Executive Steve Tribble pointed out how the health department “suited up,” to provide daily testing and set up a vaccine clinic at the Bruce Convention Center. Like JSMC, the health department’s employees worked long hours to provide the care necessary for the community.
The Volunteer of the Year Award went to the Hopkinsville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The award recognizes “their endless hours and contributions to our community from offering mentorships, scholarships, public forums, along with community involvement supporting other organizations and agencies,” Human Rights Commission Executive Director Idalia Luna said in a press release.
The Standard Award for Excellence, named in honor of Bernard Standard, the commission’s former executive director, was given to Dr. Alissa Young, president of Hopkinsville Community College.
Terrance Sullivan, executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, gave the keynote address. Sullivan lived during his preschool years in the Rozelle Leavell housing complex off North Main Street in Hopkinsville.
Sullivan talked about the many different cultures represented there and the poverty the residents experienced. He noted his good fortune to be placed in a gifted program and realized that education meant he could have food in the refrigerator.
Throughout his talk, he reiterated the importance of diversity not just by culture but also by thought and discussion.
Sullivan said this requires talking, and we talk because it empowers us to listen, and when we listen, we learn. He used the analogy of recreating a dish at a favorite restaurant. Incorporating the right spices requires a person to understand many different tastes.
“Our tasks, our struggles, our wins, our losses are spices that we can share to cook a stew, a stew that is well-formed and ready to go. We are the sum of our experiences, and there is no way to add any of that up without talking to each other one on one,” he said.
The breakfast reflected the theme of “Our Unity is Our Strength, and Our Diversity is Our Power,” returning after a year’s absence because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Toni Wilson Riley is a freelance writer and a retired Christian County Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development agent. She lives in Hopkinsville on a small goat farm.
