The DuSable Museum of African American History

The DuSable Museum of African American History is the only major independent institution in Chicago established to preserve and interpret the historical experiences and achievement of African-Americans. The museum is proud of its divers holdings that number more that 10,000 pieces and include paintings, sculpture, print works, and historical memorabilia. Special exhibitions, workshops, and lectures are featured to highlight works by specific artists, historic events, or collections on loan from individuals or institutions.

Chicago is a city rich in African-American history. The first outsider to settle in the area in the 1770s was a Black fur trader name Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable. He built a permanent settlement, and developed a friendly working relationship with the American Indian communities: the Pottawatomi, Iroquois, Oneida, and others. Nearly 150 years later, a Black history movement emerged in Chicago. Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association of the Study of Negro Life and History and convened its first conference in Chicago in 1915.

A principal figure to emerge after World War II was Chicagoan Dr. Margaret T. Burroughs. In he 1940s, she established, with others, the National Negro Museum and Historical Foundation. In 1959, she joined a group of artists to found an important national organization, the National Conference of Negro Artists, now known as the National Conference of Artists. In 1961, Dr. Burroughs founded the DuSable Museum of African-American History in her home It was moved to its present location in Washington Park in 1973.

The DuSable Museum of African American History is located at

740 East 56th PlaceChicago, Illinois 60637-1495
Phone: 773-947-0600
ax: 773-947-0677
http://www.dusable.org/