Karen Simms is a community leader, therapist, and founder of the CU Trauma and Resiliency Initiative. She was given the “Freedom Fighter” award by the CU chapter of the NAACP in 2019. In dialogue with Rev. Caplow, Karen Simms will share from her life, and what inspires her and keeps her going forward in the face of challenges and disappointments.
Karen Crawford Simms has spent over 30 years advocating for individuals and families who have been marginalized because of ethnicity, gender, health, or socioeconomic status. She’s the founder CU Trauma & Resilience Initiative that coordinates the Community Violence Response effort in Champaign County and advocates for trauma informed practices and policies to engender feelings of safety, trustworthiness, collaboration, power sharing, empowerment, equality, and justice.