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One of the first thoughts I had while reading the displays in this museum, was, “Wow, it’s nice to be reading the version of history that wasn’t written by old white men.” More specifically, I was reading a blurb on the Revolutionary War that focused on African Americans, rather than paying total attention to the colonies. You’ll get a lot of that at the DuSable Museum of African American History, located in Washington Park a few minutes’ walk from the University of Chicago campus. The museum was named for Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a Haitian man who is considered Chicago’s first permanent settler, or, as the museum somewhat awkwardly puts it, “the first non-Indian to establish a permanent settlement in the territory,” and showcases art, artifacts, and history related to the African and African-American experience. You’ll see exhibits about the march on Birmingham, Rosa Parks, segregation, white and black water fountains, and other more recent additions, such as a stirring quote from President Barack Obama: “I will never forget that the only reason I’m standing here today is because somebody, somewhere stood up for me when it was risky.” While it does a good job of covering history, I think the museum misses a ripe opportunity to explore the strongly divided race relations that exist in Chicago. I look forward to checking out the museum’s expansion, the Round House, which promises to be a more modern institution, when it opens across the street sometime in 2014 or 2015, depending on funding. Allow 1 hour.