May 20, 2025
The Denver community honors the legacy of beloved pastor and civil rights leader Rev. James Peters Jr., who passed away at 92.
The Denver community gathered to celebrate the life and enduring legacy of Rev. James Peters Jr., the beloved pastor of New Hope Baptist Church and a prominent civil rights leader.
CBS News reported that the church’s longtime pastor’s funeral was held on May 16, bringing together congregation members, clergy, and local leaders to honor his legacy. Attendees shared heartfelt memories, reflecting on his tireless pursuit of justice and the warmth and humor that defined his impact on the community.
“Dr. Peters had a great sense of humor,” said New Hope’s new leader, Pastor Eugene Downing. “But more than that, he was instrumental in seeing things through. He helped galvanize pastors in the area and played a key role in shaping significant legislation at both the city and state levels.”
From helping organize the historic 1963 March on Washington with his friend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to serving as Chair of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, and leading New Hope Baptist Church for 28 years, Peters played a pivotal role in advancing his community and championing the ongoing fight for social justice.
“African American communities are often underserved,” Downing said. “As we celebrate his life, we can’t overlook the work still left to do.”
Peters passed away on May 10 at the age of 92. The Washington, D.C. native spent his life serving as a community and civil rights advocate. The former president of the NAACP in Connecticut, Peters was pivotal in mobilizing ministers and community members for marches and bus rides in nonviolent forms of protest. His work was inspired by a final message Peters received from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. before his assassination.
“Before he was assassinated, Dr. King told many leaders, my dad included, that he believed he would be killed, but if he was, he wanted them to go out to go into the streets to share this message, this idea that don’t give up hope and that just because I’m gone, don’t give up on the work we’ve done together and on the dreams that we held together,” his son Reverend Jasper Peters said.
“I’ll miss him forever,” Jasper added. “I’ll miss my dad forever, but rather than say goodbye every time I recall him to my memory, I remember the goodness that he gave, the goodness that he taught, the goodness that he’s given to us.”
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