(City of Hopkinsville Photo)
Last year, Levi Peterson Jr. was surprised with the Hal and Bettye Thurmond Award from the Hopkinsville-Christian County Human Rights Commission.
On Wednesday, Peterson was surprised again when Hopkinsville mayor J.R. Knight presented him with a key to the city.
Peterson was the first Black administrator at Hopkinsville High School, serving as assistant principal from 1974 until his retirement in 1994. One of his students was Knight.
click to download audioPeterson wrote a book — ”The Transformation of a High School Dropout.” He began his teaching career in 1968 at Gainesville Elementary School, where three years earlier Ronald Johnson became the first principal in what was the first integration of school administration in Hopkinsville.
With family and friends on hand, Knight read the inscription that came with the key.
click to download audioWednesday’s ceremony was held at the municipal building and live-streamed on the city’s Facebook page.
