November 5, 2025
Ferris State’s Dr. David Pilgrim honored by Grand Rapids Chamber for leadership in diversity and inclusion
Dr. David Pilgrim, a nationally recognized expert on race relations, diversity, and multicultural education, and the founder of Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum, is being honored by the Grand Rapids Chamber for his leadership and advocacy.
Pilgrim, who serves as Ferris State’s vice president for Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategic Initiatives, is one of two community leaders receiving the Chamber’s Dr. Rhae-Ann Booker Award for Inclusive Excellence at the Talent & Inclusion Summit on November 11 at the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids.
“A national thought leader in education and cultural understanding, Dr. Pilgrim’s courageous work continues to shape institutions and inspire meaningful dialogue that drives change across communities,” the organization said in a release.
This year’s summit, themed Unlocking Talent, Inclusion, and Retention for a Stronger West Michigan, will focus on building high-performing teams through inclusive leadership, effective attraction and retention strategies, and engagement across a multi-generational workforce.
Reflecting on the honor, Dr. Pilgrim said:
“I am deeply honored to receive an award named after Dr. Rhae-Ann Booker, whose life’s work exemplified courage, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to justice. She led with conviction, humility, and respect for others, demonstrating that lasting change begins when opportunities are extended to all. In these difficult times, her example reminds us that inclusion is both a calling and a daily responsibility. Her legacy inspires me to advance equity and speak up even when it’s hard and unpopular.”
Next fall, Ferris State University will open a new, 26,000-square-foot, free-standing home for the Jim Crow Museum on its Big Rapids campus. The museum — the only one of its kind in the world — will continue its work to confront painful truths, and to create spaces for honest, healing conversations about race and belonging.
Dr. Pilgrim added, “The Museum’s tagline — and our guiding philosophy — is Witness. Understand. Heal. We must boldly confront what ails us as a nation, face our history with honesty, and create spaces where people can learn, listen, and begin to heal together. That is both the work and the hope that drives me forward.”
The expanded space will allow Ferris State to broaden its educational impact, with new exhibits focusing on the ways individuals and communities have resisted racism and how those stories can inspire future generations.
For nearly two decades, the museum’s 30,000-piece collection of racist artifacts has served as a powerful teaching tool, helping visitors understand America’s history of intolerance and how education and empathy can drive change.
Dr. Lisa Lowery, section chief of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Corewell Health, will also be honored with the award, named after the late Dr. Rhae-Ann Booker — a passionate advocate for continuous learning who believed in the power of self-education to transform communities. Booker previously held leadership roles at University of Michigan Health-West, Davenport University, and Calvin University.