Peter Boykin

Peter Jeffrey Boykin is a history educator and public speaker based in Detroit, Michigan, whose career centers on making history accessible and relevant for students of diverse backgrounds. Boykin attended Hampton University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He later obtained a Master of Arts in teaching with an emphasis in secondary education from Howard University, followed by a second master's degree in public relations from Michigan State University.

Boykin's professional experience includes an internship at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., where he worked in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, conducting research on education issues such as closing the achievement gap among African American, Latino, and other students of color. He taught social studies at Woodbridge High School in the Prince William County, Virginia School District, and has served as a history instructor at Wayne County Community College District, teaching African American history, United States history, and world history courses. Boykin is a member of the American Federation of Teachers Local 2000 and the Association for the Study of Life and African American History.

Boykin has a personal connection to American history through his great-great-grandfather, Johnson Chesnut Whittaker, one of the first African American cadets at West Point. Whittaker was court-martialed after being attacked by peers and later pardoned by President Chester Arthur. The story was depicted in the made-for-TV movie "Assault at West Point" and the book "Court Martial." Whittaker was posthumously commissioned as a second lieutenant by President Clinton. This family history informs Boykin's lectures and public presentations.

Boykin is active in the Detroit community, serving as a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Nu Omega Chapter, and as a former member of the Detroit Omega Foundation Board of Directors, which manages the fraternity's national programs locally.

As a keynote speaker, Boykin addresses topics including Black heritage, Black History Month, civil rights, social activism, social justice, anti-racism, and Jewish heritage. His presentations explore the history of slavery in Detroit, the abolition of slavery, and the election of Coleman Young as the city's first African American mayor. Boykin integrates personal family history, scholarly research, and community engagement to provide insight into the history and legacy of African Americans in the United States.