As the first and oldest Black American museum in the United States, the DuSable Museum of African American History is dedicated to the collection, documentation, preservation, interpretation and dissemination of the history and culture of Americans of African descent and Africans throughout the Diaspora. In 1961, Dr. Margaret Burroughs with her late husband, Charles, and eleven other Chicago artists and educators established the first museum of African American history. The museum is named after Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, a fur trader of African descent who was the first permanent settler in Chicago. DuSable Museum's collection includes artifacts, books, photographs , art objects and memorabilia totaling over 15, 000 items. Our Harold Washington wing features a 466 seat auditorium where various education and public programs occur.
DuSable Treasures: Selections
from the Permanent Collection of Art
DuSable Treasures showcases selected paintings, drawings, prints
and sculpture that span well over one hundred years of the African
American experience in the visual arts.
Harold Washington in Office
This permanent installation is a corporate office setting fashioned
from memorabilia and personal effects from the life and political
career of the late Mayor Harold Washington. Through rare materials,
a narrated video and written text, museum visitors gain insight
into the Washington mystique.
Fight To Fly: Blacks in Aviation
This permanent exhibition is comprised of photographs and materials
on loan from the City of Chicago's Department of Aviation and
items from the extensive archives of the DuSable Museum.
Africa Speaks
Virtually all African art proves to be functional in intent and/or
use. Some of the objects on display, such as stools, chairs, combs,
staffs and vessels, are carved to articulate particular events
or occasions and comprise much of the art of Africa. Included
also are the ritual masks used in unions with spirit forces or
mythical characters, the carved figures (many of which function
as surrogate spirit-ancestors) and the deity figures. Each figure
has specific functions and applications in the ritual life of
its people.
Ames Mural
The Freedom Now 9' x 8' bas-relief mural in wood by Robert Witt Ames depicts 400 years of history of Africans in America in 40 scenes beginning with their capture from their African homelands through the 1963 March On Washington.
Educational Programs
Our educational brochure features the year's schedule of plays, historical and character reenactments, music and dance performances that comprise part of our educational programs for school groups. Other educational resources include field experience guides, educator workshops and docent led tours. Through our educational offerings, the DuSable Museum seeks to interpret and illuminate the experiences and contributions of African Americans to America, world history, culture and art.
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