The Eighth of August commemorates the emancipation of slaves in western Kentucky and Tennessee in the 1860s. Christian County High School Alumnus Perry Pettus is inviting the community to celebrate the occasion while supporting the nonprofit Men 2 Be.
Pettus graduated from CCHS in 1970 and he went on to attend Murray State University before joining the U.S. Navy in 1972. Now he is a part of The Jazz “Z” Traveler LLC, a company based in Louisville that provides transportation and event management services for senior citizens.
Pettus says he was inspired to host the celebration after seeing Men 2 Be’s mission to restore Attucks High School and transform it into a community center.
Pettus says the celebration is set to include food and music by DJ Gerald. Members of Men 2 Be will also be spotlighted for their work and will be presented with grants.
The grants will be presented in honor of late hometown heroes. Pettus says the grants are set to honor Granville King and Rachel Hopkins who were 4-H Extension Office agents and acted as mentors to many children. George “Houston” Henry is another honoree and he was a longtime barber shop owner in Hopkinsville.
Then the final honoree is Howard “Rudolph” Pettus who is Perry Pettus’ uncle. Pettus says his uncle was one of the first Black officers to join the Hopkinsville Police Department. By spotlighting these people, Pettus hopes to show the children in Men 2 Be that they can do anything they want to as long as they apply themselves.
Advance tickets cost $25 on redpintix.com or will be $30 at the door. Pettus says funds generated by ticket sales will go toward the grants given to Men 2 Be.
The celebration will be at the Holiday Inn Convention Center from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on August 8
