[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 14 (Tuesday, February 1, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO DR. MARGARET T. BURROUGHS

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I wish to honor the life and legacy of Dr. 
Margaret T. Burroughs, an artist, writer, and cofounder of the DuSable 
Museum of African American History in Chicago, IL.
  Although she was born in Louisiana, Dr. Burroughs moved to Chicago to 
pursue a career in education and the arts. She spent her life 
documenting and preserving the history and culture of people of African 
descent and encouraging fair representation of African Americans. Dr. 
Burroughs made the first of her many contributions to African-American 
arts and culture at the age of 22 when she founded the South Side 
Community Arts Center, a community organization that serves as a 
gallery and workshop studio for artists and students.
  She later went on to establish the DuSable Museum of African American 
History in 1961, the first museum in the country developed to preserve 
and interpret the experiences and achievements of people of African 
descent. The museum is recognized internationally as an educational 
resource for African-American art and history, with a collection of 
over 15,000 pieces, including paintings, sculptures, and historical 
memorabilia.
  Dr. Burroughs' many contributions to art and history have been 
honored nationally. Her literary works and painting have traveled 
throughout the country--from my home State of Illinois to Washington, 
DC--and they serve as an inspiration to students and collectors of art. 
In 1975, Dr. Burroughs was honored for her service to the arts with the 
President's Humanitarian Award by President Gerald Ford.
  Dr. Burroughs' passing in November of 2010 reminds us of the 
importance of history and the arts and our responsibility to preserve 
it. Her presence in Chicago and at the DuSable Museum will be greatly 
missed. As the city of Chicago recognizes the achievements of African 
Americans and the DuSable Museum during Black History Month, we in 
Congress honor the life of the DuSable Museum's founder, Margaret 
Burroughs. It is my hope that her legacy will live on through aspiring 
artists, historians, and philanthropists.

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