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Midge Kimberly is a familiar name in the Chicago media world and beyond, known for her flamboyant and precocious personality. She had impeccable timing, always being in the right place at the right time to pursue her goals.
I met her when we both worked at the City Colleges of Chicago. I was the Director of Communications, while Midge was responsible for securing corporate sponsorships for the innovative Business Institute. I regularly met with Yvonne Johnson, the director, and Midge to discuss and plan marketing and promotional campaigns for the Business Institute. From our meetings, I noted that Midge was insightful and resourceful regarding their training programs, which were quite progressive for the late '80s and early '90s.
The next time Midge and I met, we were both no longer at the City Colleges. She had established her own public relations company, the Kimberly Group, and was promoting an event at the Jazz Oasis, while I was the Managing Editor at N’DIGO Magapaper. Surrounded by her enthusiastic student interns, she introduced me to one of them, Art Sims, also known as Chat Daddy. That day, I got a two-for-one deal, marking the moment our professional friendship began among the three of us.
Midge had carved out a niche that worked well for her and served her clients effectively. She always had news for the paper, promoted her clients, and continually made waves in her industry. Our relationship facilitated great collaboration. Her roster of clients included Coca-Cola and various other beverage labels. She was a master at throwing promotional parties to market the brands she represented, using her charismatic charm to set her on a path to great success. All of us in the media were captivated by Midge’s engaging personality, which resulted in client satisfaction through her delivery of exposure, introductions, and news coverage.
The Coca-Cola Classic (College Football) was among her favorite events, often inviting me to tag along. Leveraging her relationships and charm, she would secure tickets annually, and I must say it was always a highlight. Midge emerged as an influential leader in the Chicago business community, opening doors for countless individuals eager to showcase their talents in the Chicago market.
When Midge was awarded a contract with the 1996 Summer Olympics—also known as the Centennial Olympic Games, held in Atlanta, Georgia, from July 19 to August 4, 1996—she called to share the news, followed by a press release. The games were the 23rd modern Olympic Games and the fourth Summer Olympics hosted by the United States. It was a significant achievement, as very few minority-owned businesses, particularly women-owned businesses, were selected. While she was honored to receive this business contract, what she cherished most was the opportunity to work with Muhammad Ali. For Midge, that was the cherry on top.
Outside of business, Midge served as President of the Dudley Beauty College Advisory Board for many years. She mentored numerous youth interested in PR, promotions, and marketing. Perhaps her most important role was that of a mother, which she often said inspired her to be the best she could be. She was a devoted mother of five: Richard Davenport, Sherry Davenport Henry, Robert Davenport, Troy Davenport, and Vernon Nelson.
Midge was born on March 30, 1941, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and passed away on Sunday, October 20, 2024, at South Suburban Hospital. She was 83. At the time of her passing, her family included her mother, Lucille Bailey Williams, and her brother, Robert Williams. They moved to Chicago’s South Side in 1945, where Midge and her brother attended Corpus Christi Elementary School and graduated from DuSable High School in Bronzeville.
Midge pursued an associate’s degree at Loop Junior College, now known as Harold Washington College, and a bachelor’s degree from Chicago State University. To further prepare herself in business, she earned an MBA from DePaul University.
In the 1970s, Midge became one of the first members of the National Association of Black Journalists – Chicago Chapter. During her semi-retirement, Midge published "Champagne & Beyond," a publication celebrating women who are trailblazers, trendsetters, and innovators. As President and CEO, her mission was to highlight these unsung heroes. “If there’s something you want to do, just do it! That’s it,” Midge would often say.
Midge attended Christ Universal Temple under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Johnnie Colemon, loving God with all her heart. After Rev. Dr. Colemon passed away in December 2014, Midge shared that it literally transformed her life. She exclaimed, “She is the reason why I’m still working at 73 years old because she taught me that you can be as great as you want to be as a woman, and age does not mean anything.”
To celebrate the life of a ‘force to reckon with,’ a game-changer and public relations catalyst, Midge Kimberly, see the information below.
Midge’s celebration of life will take place on Saturday, November 2nd, at St. Paul C.M.E. Church on the South Side of Chicago. For more information, please contact hello@chicagosouthsider.com.
Visionary Kai EL´ Zabar has worked as CEO of arts organizations and as editor, writer and multimedia consultant accumulating a significant number of years in experience as an executive, journalist,publisher, public relations, media training, marketing, internal and external communications. Kai currently continues her life’s work as Editor-in-Chief Of Chicago News Weekly where she has resumed her column, “E NOTES.” She is ecstatic to be in the position to grace Chicago and the world with a publication that articulates the Black voice.