Humanities Champion of the Year Award Celebration for Kimberly Simmons

1801 Atwater Street,Detroit MI 48207

05 October, 2022

Description

Kimberly Simmons, Executive Director of the Detroit River Project, is being honored as Michigan Humanities 2022 Humanities Champion of the Year for her work running a strong and thoughtful campaign to recognize the Detroit River as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Simmons is a 5th Generation Underground Railroad descendant of a family that found freedom in the Detroit River Region in 1835. She has uplifted the history and significance of the river’s place in the story of freedom in the region. Historians approximate that somewhere between 25,000 to 30,000 of those seeking freedom escaped across our Historic Detroit River. Simmons has co-authored a book, and contributed to several others, uplifting these stories, and telling the history of the region. The public is invited to the event on October 5th at the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit. The event begins at 6 p.m. with the program beginning at 7 p.m. Event registration is required.