On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the nation’s 21st state. As we come to our state’s 200th birthday, we asked senators to talk about people or places in their districts that represent the best of Illinois’ rich past and how that is shown in local history, tourism, culture or community impact. 

The DuSable Museum in Chicago keeps the legacy of the impact of African-Americans on Illinois history.

Senator Jacqueline Collins celebrates the Illinois Bicentennial by visiting the museum named for Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, a Haitian of African and French descent, who in 1779 established the trading post and permanent settlement which would become known as Chicago.