LANSING (WWJ)-- Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been selected as one of seven people to receive the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation Profile in Courage Award.
The press release from the Governor's office said she is receiving the award for her "service during the COVID-19 pandemic"
"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," Caroline Kennedy, honorary president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and former President John F. Kennedy's daughter, said in the release.
When the first Michigan case of COVID-19 was publicly identified on March 10th, 2020; Whitmer invoked emergency orders to slow the spread of the virus including the closures of schools and businesses, a mask mandate, a stay-at-home order, and a ban on large gatherings.
Many praised her actions.
However, tens of thousands of Michiganders said her emergency orders threatened their livelihoods and/or freedom, and took a toll on their mental health. One example of the economic toll of the closures: the Michigan Restaurant Association estimated in September of 2020 that at least 1 in 6 restaurants statewide have closed, and about half of them will never reopen.
Protesters stormed the State Capitol in May of last year, some of them armed. In the fall, more than a dozen men were charged in an elaborate kidnapping plot against Whitmer.
"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," a press release from the Governor's office read.
Thousands of people from across the country submitted COVID courage nominations. She shares this award with the former State Health Department director in Ohio, a small business owner from Louisiana who opened a tab for dozens of customers who could no longer afford food, a fire department captain from Massachusetts, an Amazon associate from South Carolina; and an Intensive Care nurse and an Academic Advisor for Native Americans, both from Arizona.
The award will be presented in a virtual ceremony by Caroline Kennedy, and her son Jack, on May 26.
