Ancestor Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs: What Manner of Woman?
By Eleanor Chatman
Presented by Omni-U Virtual University
What manner of woman was Ancestor Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs? I intended to answer this question when I decided to share some of my experiences with Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs in my recently published book, "Me and Dr.B." I wondered how a 22-year-old lady could spearhead with others, including Artists Charles Wilbert White Jr. and William Sylvester Carter, the opening of the first Black community art center, The South Side Community Art Center. I was also interested in knowing how this same young lady was able to persuade the wife of the President of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, to attend SSCAC's opening.
How was she able to work as a Chicago Public School teacher while raising a family and negotiating the opening of the DuSable Museum of African History, the first of its kind in the world?
How was she able to write a number of books- some of which were self-published[1] and produce fantastic art works while traveling the world and representing African American art- often representing the United States, on a number of occasions?
Dr. Margaret T.G Burroughs was a world traveler. She visited Africa a number of times as well as the Orient and Europe. She also took special trips to Cuba and South America.
She gave hundreds of inspirational speeches to Universities, Churches and even Senior Citizen homes-all while promoting the development of the DuSable Museum.
She was successful in all of her endeavors as an artist, a teacher, writer, an activist, a mentor and more. I still do not know how she was able to accomplish all that she did. I only know that she did all this and more. For that, I am grateful.
Recommended Readings:
Life with Margaret: The Official Autobiography of Margaret Burroughs. by Dr. Margaret T.G Burroughs
South Side Venus: The Legacy of Margaret T.G Burroughs. by Dr. Mary Ann Cain
Recommended Viewing:
Blog Note:
[1] Many of her works are published under the name, Margaret Goss, and are housed at The DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago, Illinois.