The resignation of seven members of the board of trustees at the DuSable Museum, including Chance the Rapper, recently raised questions.
Seven trustees, representing one-third of the museum’s board, recently resigned, including Eric Whitaker, Wilbur Milhouse III, Kimberly McCullough-Starks, Michael Gibson, Chance the Rapper and his father, Ken Bennett, and the board’s chair Joyce Johnson-Miller.
Chance the Rapper tweeted that he resigned because his schedule was too busy and he couldn’t make meetings. The Defender was unable to reach any other board members at press time to find out their reasons for resigning.
The DuSable Museum issued the following statement:
We are grateful to all of our Du Sable trustees, those remaining on the board and those who are departing…[we] thank them for their dedication and service to this great institution, and have been assured of their continued support of the mission of Du Sable Museum. That mission – to educate all people through African American history, art and culture — is more important than ever before, and we are in a climate of change and transformation. We will take this opportunity to continue to build our board, a process that’s already underway, and we’re excited about the changes to come. Founded by Dr. Margaret Burroughs in 1961, the Du Sable Museum of African American History is the nation’s oldest independent black museum, a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate since 2016, and an icon not only for our African-American community but all of Chicago. We are a recognized institutional leader and a major component of the renaissance of Chicago’s South Side. Most nonprofits, especially arts and culture organizations, are struggling to raise funds and we are no different. We are driving forward and focusing our efforts, building upon our amazing recent accomplishments and successes, and moving steadfastly towards the future.”
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