The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation today announced that Governor Whitmer is one of seven recipients for the special Profile in Courage Award. Governor Whitmer is recognized for her service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and her son, Jack Schlossberg, will present the awards for COVID Courage as part of a virtual ceremony that will air for the public on May 26, 2021 at 6:00pm ET.
“It is my honor to accept this prestigious award on behalf of every Michigander who stepped up to help their family and community through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “I am humbled by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Kennedy Family for their recognition. We must all strive to live up to the call of public service put forward by President Kennedy decades ago and exemplified by the heroes on the frontlines of this pandemic who are putting shots in arms and working tirelessly in schools, stores, and hospitals statewide.”
“Today’s honorees put their own lives at risk to keep others safe. They inspire us all with their courage and give new meaning to President Kennedy’s legacy of public service,” said Caroline Kennedy, honorary president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
“These heroes went above and beyond for their community and our country, and remind us that we all can make a difference if we answer the call to serve,” said Schlossberg, a member of the Profile in Courage Award Committee.
When Michigan’s first cases of COVID-19 were identified in early March 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer invoked emergency powers in a bid to contain the spread of the virus and save lives, issuing early, controversial orders to close schools and businesses, mandate mask wearing, and ban large gatherings, among other measures. While her leadership earned praise from many, she also faced sustained, vocal backlash over stay-at-home rules that remained in place as COVID-19 cases in Michigan continued to rise during the spring.
Protests over Whitmer’s pandemic response became increasingly threatening, with armed demonstrators surrounding and at one point storming the state capitol to demand an end to stay-at-home orders. In October, thirteen men were charged with a June 2020 plot to kidnap and kill Whitmer. The men were said to be motivated at least in part by anger and resentment over pandemic restrictions. Despite violent threats against her life, Whitmer did not back down. She stayed focused on following the science and listening to public health experts to get the pandemic under control and start rebuilding Michigan’s economy.
Thousands of people from across the country submitted COVID Courage nominations, sharing moving stories about the commitment and sacrifice of members of their communities who put their own health and safety at risk to help heal the sick, protect our most vulnerable, and provide critical support services. The seven honorees will represent the courage and national sacrifice we have witnessed in so many aspects of American life.
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization founded in 1984 to provide financial support, staffing, and creative resources for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, a presidential library administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. The Kennedy Presidential Library and the Kennedy Library Foundation seek to promote, through educational and community programs, a greater appreciation and understanding of American politics, history, and culture, the process of governing and the importance of public service.
Comments