Peggy Shivers: A legacy of education and service
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — In celebration of Black History Month in Southern Colorado, we pause to honor those who have shaped our community, including Peggy Shivers, a local philanthropist whose ongoing efforts continue to leave a lasting impact across the Pikes Peak region.
'You should try to make the best of your life as you can, and getting an education is one way of doing that,' Peggy Shivers shared.
Shivers has called Colorado Springs home since 1997, but her story begins in Center Point, a small community about 10 miles outside Pittsburg, Texas.
'I was born in 1933, so that was quite some time ago,' Shivers said. 'Back then, especially in rural areas, African-Americans who went to school often didn't make it past the eighth grade.'
But Peggy's story is different. She grew up in a nurturing environment where her aunt established a 14-acre campus that welcomed children from all over to attend school.
Beyond her passion for education, Shivers is a talented musician who began singing at the age of three.
'My grandmother taught me the song 'Jesus Loves Me' and had me sing it in church,' Shivers recalled. 'Everyone was amazed that at such a young age, I remembered the words.'
Every person needs a sidekick, and for Peggy, that was her late husband, Clarence Shivers. Clarence passed away in 2007 and is laid to rest at the U.S. Air Force Academy Cemetery.
'Clarence, truly, was a special human being,' Peggy said.
Clarence served in the military during World War II, and his high score on the entrance exam earned him a place among the elite Tuskegee Airmen.
'The first time he sat in the cockpit, he knew he was home,' Peggy said.
In addition to being one of the first African-American military pilots, Clarence was a skilled artist commissioned to create a statue at the Air Force Academy honoring the Tuskegee Airmen.
Before moving to Colorado Springs, Peggy and Clarence shared a love for the arts.
'My husband was an artist, and he received a wonderful commission from Miller Brewing Company to create a calendar of civil rights leaders,' Peggy explained. 'He was responsible for both the artwork and the writing that accompanied it.'
Peggy shared with FOX21 News that Clarence visited the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) for research on the calendar but was disappointed by the lack of resources on African-American history. During their 25th wedding anniversary celebration, they hosted a successful art auction and knew exactly how to use the proceeds.
In 1993, Peggy and Clarence partnered with PPLD to create the Shivers Fund. The funds raised from the auction helped establish the African American Historical and Cultural Collection at the library district.
'In 1993, bringing that to the community's attention was a huge step forward,' said Courtney VanCleave, Senior Director of Development & Executive Director of the PPLD Foundation. 'Today, we have an array of titles, authors, and resources available for people from all backgrounds in our community.'
VanCleave oversees the PPLD Foundation, which manages the Shivers Fund.
'At the library, we say that everyone belongs, and we can only truly say that if we offer materials, books, and resources from diverse languages, backgrounds, and cultures,' VanCleave explained. 'By providing such a variety of authors and resources, we're practicing what we preach, and we hope the community recognizes these resources are available.'
Throughout PPLD library locations, community members can explore a growing collection of books that highlight African-American history and culture. Peggy proudly claims it's one of the best collections in the West, but she points out it isn't tucked away in a special room or wing of the library.
'We wanted the books spread throughout the library, and that's what they've done. That's how it began,' Peggy said.
Beyond the collection, the Shivers Fund also supports events that celebrate history, culture, and the arts, providing opportunities for the community to engage with education and cultural experiences.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Federal board considers ‘Mount Carola' as name for peak in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough
This map by the state of Alaska shows the location of Mount Carola in the Alaska Range. (State of Alaska image) The federal government may name an Alaska Range mountain after a longtime Talkeetna miner and pioneer woman this week. On Thursday, the domestic names committee of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names is scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C., to consider proposals for new names. On its agenda is Mount Carola, a mountain between Ruth Glacier and Tokositna Glacier in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The mountain doesn't currently have a federally registered name, according to U.S. Geological Survey records. Carola June Young, born in 1936, was a longtime resident of Talkeetna and the rural Matanuska-Susitna Borough. She was a former owner of the Fairview Inn in Talkeetna, one of the founders of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, and former president of the Yentna Mining District, which includes Petersville. After her death in 2018, one of her daughters, Michele Stevens, sought to name the mountain — which overlooks the Cache Creek area, her home for 40 years — in her honor. The naming is supported by the Talkeetna Historical Society, the Mat-Su planning commission and the Alaska Miners Association, which petitioned the Alaska Historical Commission, the last stop before the national board. 'Carola Young embodies the Alaska spirit and is the kind of legend we can all be proud of,' wrote Deantha Skibinski, executive director of the Alaska Miners Association, 'and AMA could not be more proud to endorse naming a mountain after her.' During its October 2024 meeting, the board voted 6-1 to approve the nomination and submit it for federal approval. At the same meeting, the board approved the renaming of Arkose Peak to Souvenir Peak, and it approved the naming of a nearby, unnamed mountain to Arkose Peak, reflecting local use by mountaineers and skiers. Both peaks, each above 5,000 feet high, are in the Talkeetna Mountains within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Neither of those proposals is on the federal board's agenda this month, nor is a proposal to rename 'Nazi Creek' in the Aleutians. The Alaska Historical Commission approved that latter change in April, but it remains under consideration by the federal board. The World War II-era name was chosen as part of a pattern of naming features in a grid starting with different letters of the alphabet, and advocates for the change said the original naming was arbitrary. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Army restores names of bases that lost Confederate-linked names
In March, Hegseth Advertisement To restore the original names of the additional seven bases, the Army once again found service members with the same last names to honor. Those bases are Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett and Fort Robert E. Lee in Virginia, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort Rucker in Alabama. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The decision strips names chosen in 2023 to honor top leaders, such as President Dwight D. Eisenhower, as well as Black soldiers and women. No women are included in the new Army list. There was no immediate cost estimate for changing all the signs at the bases, just two years after they were revamped. Fort A.P. Hill Originally it was named after Confederate Gen. Ambrose P. Hill, before being renamed Fort Walker after Mary Edwards Walker, a doctor who treated soldiers in the Civil War and later received a Medal of Honor. Advertisement Now it will be named to commemorate three different people: Medal of Honor recipients Lt. Col. Edward Hill, 1st Sgt. Robert A. Pinn and Pvt. Bruce Anderson for heroism during the Civil War. Fort Pickett Fort Pickett was changed to Fort Barfoot in honor of Tech Sgt. Van Barfoot, a Medal of Honor recipient who served in World War II. It will now honor 1st Lt. Vernon W. Pickett. He received the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism during World War II when he fired grenades while pinned down by enemy machine gun fire and destroyed enemy positions. He was captured, then escaped and rejoined his unit, but was killed in action. Fort Lee Fort Lee was changed to a hyphenated name, Fort Gregg-Adams, and was the only one to commemorate someone who remained alive at the time — Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg. He was known as a logistics leader and died last year. Lt. Col. Charity Adams — the other half of the name — led the first female Black unit of the Army deployed in World War II. Fort Lee will now be named for Pvt. Fitz Lee, who received the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Spanish-American War, when he moved under fire to rescue wounded comrades. Fort Gordon Fort Gordon was changed to Fort Eisenhower to commemorate the former president's time leading Allied forces in Europe in World War II. It will now be named for Medal of Honor recipient Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon. He was honored for his valor during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, where he defended wounded crew members at a helicopter crash site and held off an advancing enemy force. Advertisement Fort Hood Fort Hood was changed to Fort Cavazos in honor of Gen. Richard Cavazos, the Army's first Hispanic four-star, who served in the Korean War and got the Distinguished Service Cross. It will now honor Col. Robert B. Hood. He received the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism during World War I, when he directed artillery fire in France. Fort Polk Fort Polk was changed to Fort Johnson after Black Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. William Henry Johnson, who served in World War I. It will now honor Silver Star recipient Gen. James H. Polk. Then-Col. Polk was honored for gallantry during World War II, when he led reconnaissance and combat missions under fire. He later served as head of U.S. Army Europe. Fort Rucker Fort Rucker was named Fort Novosel after Medal of Honor recipient Chief Warrant Officer Michael Novosel, who served in World War II and Vietnam. It will now honor Capt. Edward W. Rucker. He received the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism in World War I when he flew deep behind enemy lines in a daring air battle over France.
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Free admission offered at these California national parks and forests on Juneteenth
Juneteenth, an official national holiday since 2021, brings with it free admission to all national parks and forests. It will be one of just seven such days when admission is free at national parks and five days for national forests. The holiday celebrates the last American slaves to be officially freed. They were freed by Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued. In Southern California, participating National Park Service locations include Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Channel Islands, Cabrillo National Monument, Yosemite and many more. For those who can't make it to national parks on Juneteenth, free access will be available on three more days this year: Aug. 4, Sep. 27 and Nov. 11. Land managed by the U.S. Forest Service will also offer free entry on the last two of these three days. Other fees for parking, tours and the like will still apply. If California residents prefer to visit state parks, they can get in for free via a pass available at any library that grants free access to more than 200 parks every day of the year.
