PEORIA, Ill. — Thomas Jefferson Primary School officially became Dr. C.T. Vivian Primary School on Friday.
A ceremony was held in front of the school to make the name change official and to commemorate Vivian’s contributions to Peoria.
The Peoria Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously May 24 to make the name change.
One of the most outspoken proponents of the name change during a town hall in April was former school board member and current Education Chair for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Peoria Branch Ernestine Jackson.
“I’ve known Dr. C.T. Vivian since I was about 10, when he came to Peoria, so I know what kind of man he is,” said Jackson. “He was a man of compassion, he was a man of integrity, he was a man who cared about all people.”
Vivian played a large role in the civil rights movement, working alongside Martin Luther King Jr.
In July 2020, Vivian died at the age of 95.
