Although Carol Adams was not born in Chicago, she has contributed immensely to the city’s culture and youth, especially regarding the black community. Her substantial resume consists of directing the Center for Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois University, the director of Loyola University’s African American studies program, dean of adult and continuing education at Kennedy King College, director for the International House of Blues Foundation, secretary of Department of Human Services for the state of Illinois, and museum director for the DuSable Museum of African American History.

While her job title has changed over the years, she has consistently remained a social-activist, youth advocate, and agent for change. When asked how she found her start in social activism, Adams told SwahiliTv that she was “proud to be a part of the sixties generation that saw a need for change, and wasn’t afraid to act on it.” In her hometown of Louisville Kentucky, Adams became the president of the Louisville branch of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality.) While recalling her own role in the Civil Right Movement she says “The beauty about it was that it gave us a chance to be leaders. It was really a training ground for everything that would happen for me thereafter.”

Amongst her many other accomplishments, Carol Adams founded the Museum and Public Schools program (MAPS) which forms a union between museum directors and public school teachers to establish a new curriculum- one that utilizes all of the great information and interactive styles of learning that museums have to offer our students. She has a passion for integrating art and culture into mainstream education and into our communities. “Carol Adams is dedicated to educating all youth,” comments family member, Eric Wilkinson, “but especially informing black youth of their own history, the world in which they currently exist, and the possibilities of their futures.” She recognizes that, while much has changed in our country, racism is still present, although While her work speaks for itself, she has also been awarded several notable honors such as Ebony Magazine’s “Powerful 100” and the Outstanding Humanitarian Award from the NAACP.

The story and work of Carol Adams is extensive, and this article could not even begin to capture all of her contributions in length. However, even from this shallow summary, one can easily understand the impact that her dedication to social service has had on our city.