Men 2 Be works toward restoring the historic Attucks High School

After sitting vacant for nearly four decades, local nonprofit Men 2 Be is taking steps toward revitalizing Attucks High School and is calling on the community to lend a hand in the effort.

Men 2 Be was established in 2020 and works to uplift boys in the community by supporting them academically and teaching them life and social skills.

Attucks High School was built in 1916 and was Hopkinsville’s first public school for Black students. The school is named after Crispus Attucks, a sailor of African and Native American descent who was killed in the Boston Massacre in 1770.

The school became an integrated middle school in 1967 and closed in 1988. Since then, it has been inducted into the National Register of Historic Places.

LaDessa Lewis is the co-founder of Men 2 Be and says a while ago she heard some talks about transforming the school and thought it could be a great mission for the nonprofit to take on. Lewis says the Attucks Association had ideas of turning the school into a community center, but they could not complete the project.

Members of Men 2 Be spoke with the association and found that their visions for the school's future greatly aligned, and in 2024 the association gifted the school to the nonprofit. Lewis says they are aiming to create a community center with a variety of resources while also preserving and spotlighting the school’s history.

Lewis says she wants the community center to be a place where folks can get a hot meal, take night classes, exercise, host vendor markets and hang out with friends.

Lewis did not personally attend the school, but her parents did. Vice Killebrew, a volunteer mentor with Men 2 Be, says he was a member of the final class to attend the school before it closed.

Killebrew says some of his friends who attended the school aren’t alive to see its restoration and feels as though he is honoring them by working on this project.

Teresa Moss volunteers with Men 2 Be and attended the school during her middle school years. She says she’s looking forward to the restoration and thinks it’s the perfect location for a community center.

At the school, so far work has been done to maintain the exterior and clear out the gymnasium. Lewis says they are currently fundraising to have a rendering made showing their vision for the community center. Those interested in donating can do so at men2beinc.org.

Then the nonprofit will be hosting a benefit concert from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 26 at Bridge of Hope Fellowship and it's free to attend. At the event, Lewis says they will unveil the renderings for the community center and spotlight their donation needs in order to make it all happen.

The nonprofit hopes to raise $1 million for phase one of the restoration to be complete by Fall 2026.