Reactions and Press
Grants & Awards
The Celebrating Simms project has been the recipient of multiple local, statewide, and national grants and awards, including:
- JMU President’s Madison Vision Fund funding, 2024
- President's Purple Star Award for Inclusive Excellence, James Madison University, 2023
- College of Arts and Letters, Professional Development Funding, James Madison University, 2022
- College of Education Professional Mini-Grant, James Madison University, 2022
- Research and Scholarship AIC Seed Funding, James Madison University, 2022
- Virginia Humanities Open Grant, 2020
- Women’s and Gender Studies Award for Feminist Scholarship and Creative Work, James Madison University, 2017
- Outstanding College-Community Project Award, Coalition for Community Writing, 2017
- Faculty-Senate Madison Vision Mini-Grant Award, James Madison University, 2016
- Innovative Diversity Effort Award Program Grant, James Madison University, 2015-2016
Community Responses to Celebrating Simms
The following interviews were conducted and recorded by project partner Billo Harper to document the reactions of community members to the Celebrating Simms project during the opening of the exhibit at the Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on April 25, 2016.
Use the left and right arrows below to cycle through project associate Billo Harper's interviews with Northeast Neighborhood community members Carlton Banks, Debbie Abernathy, and Henry Whitelow, Northeast Neighborhood Association President Karen Thomas, and former Harrisonburg Mayor Larry Rogers.
Student Responses to Celebrating Simms
The following videos were recorded by students to document their experiences in the Celebrating Simms project from 2015-2016.
Use the left and right arrows above to cycle through the interviews with Amanda Harvey, Anne Hardrick, Ashley Short, Brett Seekford, Emily Nava, Hannah Jones, Kailyn Harris-Gilliam, Katie McVicar, and Micah Hodges.
Community & Educator Responses to High School Installation
The following video was recorded at the virtual launch of the Celebrating Simms Exhibit’s installation at Harrisonburg High School in February 2021.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the opening of the Harrisonburg High School Branch exhibit happened online in February 2021. Panelists include Don Burgess, Mollie Godfrey, Ember Heishman, Seán McCarthy, Colleen Morris, Kirk Moyers, Deanna Reed, and Michael Richards.
Community Responses to Mary Awkard Fairfax Exhibit
The following video was recorded at the virtual launch of the Mary Awkard Fairfax Exhibit’s installation at the Lucy F. Continuing Education Center in February 2022.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the opening for the Fairfax exhibit happened online in February 2022. Panelists include Justin Attas, Joanne Gabbin, Mollie Godfrey, Billo Harper, Stephanie Howard, Seán McCarthy, Deanna Reed, and Mary Ann Smith-Tucker. This video also contains images of Mrs. Fairfax's life to a soundtrack of her favorite song, "Moon River," played by David Berry III.
Community-Based Researchers' Responses to K-12 Oral History Project
The following video was recorded at the 13th Annual Lemon Project Symposium hosted by the College of William & Mary on March 25, 2023.
Panelists include: Mollie Godfrey, Deanna Reed, Leonard L. Richards Jr., Mary Beth Cancienne, and L. Renée.
Press & Media Coverage
The Celebrating Simms project has been covered in the following news outlets:
- JMU News. 3 April 2023
- JMU News. 17 June 2022
- Virginia Humanities Events. 17 February 2022.
- Daily News-Record. 15 February 2021
- JMU News. 10 February 2021
- JMU Libraries News. 5 February 2021
- JMU News. 15 November 2020
- Daily News-Record. 24 January 2020
- JMU News. 28 March 2017
- Madison Magazine, May 2016
- The Daily News-Record, 21 April 2016
- The Breeze, 13 April 2016
Since the unveiling of the Celebrating Simms project in 2016, Lucy F. Simms has also received several new honors and recognitions throughout the state of Virginia, including: