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
Touring Locations
Visit Quad Cities – Union Station Destination Center
102 S. Harrison St. Davenport, IA 52801
May 1 – 29, 2026
Lincoln Center
318 East 7th St. Davenport, IA 52803
May 30 – June 30, 2026
German American Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St. Davenport, IA 52802
July 1 – 31, 2026
Oral History Collection
Explore our civil rights 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.
Discrimination Against Mexican American (Spanish Speakers)
Bob Ontiveros
Illinois Woman Suffered Segregation Practices While Visiting Grandmother in 1970s Alabama
Gaye Shannon Burnett
Harassment of Muslim Woman Wearing a Scarf (Hijab)
Dr. Lisa Killinger
Quad City American Muslim Family Investigated by FBI
Dr. Lisa Killinger
Charles and Ann Toney Denied Service at Davenport Ice Cream Parlor, 1945
Lynn Toney
Charles Toney First Certified Welder of Color in Iowa and Illinois
Lynn Toney
Davenport Swimming Pool Access Restricted Access for African Americans
Lynn Toney
Davenport Crow Valley Country Club Becomes Integrated by Charles Toney
Lynn Toney
Fight Against Modern Day Slavery and for Equal Rights in Iowa
Maggie Tinsman
Fight Against Human Trafficking in Iowa
Maggie Tinsman
50/50 in 2020 – Attempt to Encourage Equal Gender Representation in Iowa Government
Maggie Tinsman
Bullying in School
Rev. Mason Parks
Racism
Rev. Mason Parks
Prejudice in Davenport Schools against Spanish Speakers
Rita Vargas
Henry Vargas Founding Member of First Civil Rights Commission in Iowa
Rita Vargas
Discrimination Against Mexican Americans by Neighbors and Schools
Rita Vargas
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.
