When the University of Chicago Law School commissioned artist Shawn Michael Warren to paint a portrait of its first Black JD graduate, Warren turned first to a stack of reading and then began visiting the library. The story of Earl Burrus Dickerson, 1920, wasn’t immediately familiar; Dickerson, after all, is a local figure who was well-known in the early 20th century but whose remarkable life was never stamped into the collective memory.
But interpreting history and sharing stories about communities of color is Warren’s central artistic passion—it was a reason a local gallery recommended him to the Law School as perfect for the project. So, before long, Warren was steeped in the late Dickerson’s many accomplishments: a successful US Supreme Court argument that helped end racially restrictive covenants; roles on the national board of the NAACP, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fair Employment Practices Committee, and the Chicago City Council; decades of leadership at a Chicago-based insurance company that expanded economic opportunities for African Americans; and more.
On Monday, Warren joined University of Chicago Provost Ka Yee C. Lee and Law School Dean Thomas J. Miles at a ceremony unveiling the 48” x 36” oil-on-canvas painting, which depicts a regal and stoic Dickerson standing before a white marble fireplace in his home office. Behind him are shelves lined with books. The event marked the finale in a year-long centennial celebration that included a two-part conference on Dickerson’s life and work, as well as other events aimed at exploring and highlighting his legacy.
“Mr. Dickerson paved the way for many other talented Black lawyers from historically underrepresented communities to attend the Law School … [and] his life and legacy have had a lasting impact on the Law School, its students, and alumni,” Lee told students, faculty, staff, and guests in the Law School auditorium. “The inclusion of his portrait in the halls of this building, next to portraits of renowned leaders of legal scholarship and teaching, is especially significant. This is the first portrait of an African American to be displayed in this building, and the first portrait of someone who did not teach at the Law School. This reflects the impact of Mr. Dickerson’s influence and signifies the University’s commitment to advancing his legacy.”
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This story was first published by the University of Chicago Law School.