Dallas City Wire

The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum will honor Ken Burns at the 2024 Hope for Humanity dinner. The event is scheduled for December 5, 2024, at the Omni Dallas Hotel. This annual dinner acknowledges local Holocaust survivors and their efforts in educating future generations. Ken Burns, an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, will receive the Hope for Humanity award for his dedication to societal improvement.

During the event, Burns will engage in a conversation with Krys Boyd from KERA about his nearly fifty-year career in documentary filmmaking. His notable works include "The Civil War," "Baseball," "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History," "The Vietnam War," "The U.S. and the Holocaust," and most recently, "Leonardo da Vinci." His films have earned numerous awards including seventeen Emmys, two Grammys, and two Oscar nominations. In 2008, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2022.

“Telling stories of the past is essential for deciphering our history and building a better future,” said Ken Burns. “I am deeply honored to receive the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum Hope for Humanity award."

Diane and Hal Brierley serve as honorary chairs for this year's event while Lisa and Peter Kraus are event chairs. Diane and Hal Brierley expressed excitement about celebrating Burns' work: “Ken’s many films are more than just historical narratives; they are essential to ensuring all generations understand the past to shape our collective future.”

Lisa Kraus shared that Burns’ film "The U.S. and the Holocaust" has personal significance due to her husband's family history during WWII: “Ken and the Museum share a commitment to teaching the history of the Holocaust so these lessons live on,” she said.

More details about Hope for Humanity can be found on www.dhhrm.org/hope.

The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum was founded in 1984 by local survivors with a mission to teach about human rights issues related to prejudice, hatred, indifference as well as providing education on topics such as America’s civil rights journey through its permanent exhibitions housed within its downtown location covering three floors spanning over 55 thousand square feet which includes four wings focused upon various aspects regarding both historical events like those surrounding WWII along with current-day issues faced globally today.