Chicago's DuSable Museum Turns 65
The DuSable African American Museum in Chicago is celebrating its 65th anniversary. As the nation’s oldest independent museum dedicated to African American history and culture, the milestone is a significant event for the city's cultural and philanthropic communities.
- The museum was founded in 1961 by artist and educator Dr. Margaret Taylor-Burroughs and her husband Charles Burroughs, initially operating out of the ground floor of their home on South Michigan Avenue. It was first named the Ebony Museum of Negro History and Art. - In 1968, the museum was renamed to honor Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, a fur trader of Haitian descent who is recognized as the first non-Native American permanent settler of Chicago. This renaming aimed to firmly connect the museum's identity to the city's foundational history. - The museum moved to its current, larger location in Washington Park in 1973, occupying a former Chicago Park District administration building. This move allowed for a significant expansion of its exhibitions and educational programs. - Its collection has grown to over 15,000 pieces, including artifacts from the slavery era, the desk of activist Ida B. Wells, and works by artists like Charles White and Romare Bearden. - In 1993, a new wing was added named after Harold Washington, Chicago's first African American mayor, which includes more exhibition space, a theater, and a research library. - The DuSable Museum became an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in 2016. This partnership allows for the sharing of artifacts and traveling exhibits between the institutions. - Before the establishment of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the DuSable was the largest caretaker of African-American culture in the United States. - In 2022, the institution's name was updated to the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center to better reflect its educational mission.
