HSM Presents the Local History Conference and History Hero Award on March 24-25

LANSING, Mich.—Calling all historians, history buffs and Michigan residents interested in exploring unique topics! The Historical Society of Michigan (HSM) is hosting a one-of-a-kind conference weekend highlighting content on Southeast Michigan on March 24-25, 2023, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. The Society will also present its History Hero Award at the event. 

The Michigan in Perspective: Local History Conference is HSM's largest annual conference and includes exciting keynote presentations, content sessions, catered dining, a robust exhibit hall and more. This year, the event’s keynotes highlight the origins of Motown Records and its current museum, the tenure of former Michigan governor Rick Snyder (in conversation with WXYZ Detroit's Chuck Stokes), the life of a female Native American Vietnam War veteran, former U.S. Supreme Court justice and Michigan governor Frank Murphy’s time in Detroit and Michigan’s PBB Crisis.

Additionally, join HSM for content sessions on the Kosher meat riot of 1910, an Austrian exhibition of Anishinaabe artifacts and its partnership with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Detroit's Walk to Freedom with Martin Luther King Jr., the history and modern-day journey of the Ulysses S. Grant house, Ukrainians in Michigan, the Old Chicago Road, Vernor's Ginger Ale, Orthodox ethnicities in Detroit, American kit homes and many other topics.

There will also be a Friday evening reception available for full-conference attendees. This reception will take place at the Northville Historical Society's Mill Race Village in Novi, near the conference venue at the Suburban Collection Showplace. The village includes a 1845 Greek Revival-style New School Church, the Cady Inn and much more.

Pricing for the Michigan in Perspective: Local History Conference starts at $99 for full-conference attendees who register in advance and $109 for walk-in registrations. There is also a Saturday-only registration available starting at $79. Meals are available as optional add-ons. Capacity is limited—pre-registration is encouraged! 

Registration details, the full conference itinerary and more are available on HSM's website.

Presentation of the 2023 History Hero Award

The History Hero Award was created in 2017 to recognize and celebrate people who have made significant contributions to promote Michigan history and supported the mission of HSM. A History Hero Award will be presented during the conference to Chuck Stokes of West Bloomfield. Stokes is the Emmy-winning editorial/public affairs director for WXYZ-TV/Channel 7 in Detroit. 

His career has given him the unique opportunity to tell the stories of many recent historical persons, such as former U.S. presidents, Michigan governors, other legislators and famous personalities—including the late civil rights icons Rosa Parks and Congressman John Lewis, Detroit Tigers' Baseball Hall of Fame announcer Ernie Harwell and former Poland president and solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa. Stokes has worked with and often served in board leadership roles for nearly 20 nonprofit organizations during his career. At HSM, he is a past trustee and past president, and he continues to serve as a board advisor and on the Advancement Committee.

The lead sponsors for the Michigan in Perspective: Local History Conference are The Meijer Foundation, the Detroit Historical Society and the Library of Michigan. Other major sponsors are the Burton Historical Collection, the Michigan Arts & Culture Council and Dart Bank. 

Additional sponsors are the Mackinac State Historic Parks, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, Algonquin Club of Detroit and Windsor, Bentley Historical Library, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Clarke Historical Library, Commonwealth Heritage Group, Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society, J. Ferrantino Charitable Foundation, Northville Historical Society/Mill Race Village, Oakland University Libraries, Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, Walter P. Reuther Library and William L. Clements Library.

The Historical Society of Michigan is the state’s oldest cultural organization, founded in 1828. A nongovernmental nonprofit, the Society focuses on publications, conferences, education, awards and recognition programming, and support for local history organizations to preserve and promote Michigan’s rich history.