Recently, CTJMF partnered with the Washington Park Advisory Council to co-host an event in honor of Dr. Margaret Burroughs. Dr. Burroughs is a cultural and community icon of Chicago history. In 1986, Mayor Harold Washington appointed her to serve on the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners. She made many contributions to Chicago’s parks, especially Washington Park. She was also a founder of the DuSable Museum and the Southside Community Arts Museum.

Dr. Burroughs holds a special place in the memories and hearts of many incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, including many torture survivors, to whom she taught art inside prisons across Illinois. CTJMF was honored to partner on this event to celebrate her legacy and significance to Washington Park, where the memorial will be constructed, and to the lives of survivors who paid tribute to her at the event with their remarks and performances.