Discover Davenport’s Role in the Fight for Civil Rights
The Davenport Civil Rights Traveling Exhibit invites you to explore the powerful stories, struggles, and triumphs that shaped the fight for equality in our community. Through photographs, documents, and firsthand oral histories, this exhibit highlights Davenport’s role in the broader Civil Rights Movement and honors the individuals who stood for justice. Discover how local actions helped drive national change, and why these stories still matter today.
View the exhibit online, in sections:
Section 1: The Ferment Begins (1945-1954)
Section 2: The Ferment Grows (1955-1963)
Section 3: Ferment at High Tide (1964-1968)
Section 4: The Ferment Subsides (1969-1974)
Additional Resources:
American Civil Rights Movement: Davenport Public Library
Davenport Civil Rights Walking Tour
Oral History Collection
Explore our oral history collection, bringing the Davenport’s Civil Rights Movement to life through the voices of those who experienced it firsthand. These recorded stories share personal struggles, triumphs, and reflections, offering an intimate look at the fight for equality in our community.
Coming Soon!
Touring Locations
Davenport Public Library – Fairmount
3000 N Fairmount St, Davenport, IA
February 1 – 27, 2026
Davenport Public Library – Eastern
6000 Eastern Ave. Davenport, IA
March 2 – 31, 2026
Davenport Public Library – Main
321 N Main St. Davenport, IA
April 1 – 30, 2026
Want to Host the Exhibit at Your Location?
Bring the Davenport’s Civil Rights Movement traveling exhibit to your location at no cost!
This exhibit is free to rent for one month*. If you would like to rent it for more than one month, please make a note in your request form. The Putnam Museum and Science Center cannot guarantee availability for extended rentals.
The exhibit is made up of four 10’ long x 1’ deep x 7.5’ tall pop-up banners. When collapsed for transport, each banner folds down to the approximate size of a small suitcase. Please confirm all 4 banners can fit inside your space before submitting a request form. To learn how to operate the banners, please watch this video:
*The exhibit will transfer on the last day of the month. On months where the last day falls over the weekend, the exhibit will transfer on the Friday before. In December, the exhibit will transfer on December 30. If you rent the exhibit for the duration of the month, you will receive it on the last day of the previous month (a rental for September will receive the exhibit on August 31, and the exhibit will leave the location on September 30).
The organization renting the exhibit is responsible for any damage to the exhibit while it is housed at their location.
The Davenport’s Civil Rights Movement traveling exhibit is made possible through funding from Museums Advancing Racial Justice supported by the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Smithsonian Institution’s Reckoning with our Racial Past, and the Doris and Victor Day Foundation.
