“Davenport Civil Rights Movement" at the German American Heritage Center -- July 1 through 31.
Wednesday, July 1, through Friday, July 31
German American Heritage Center, 712 West Second Street, Davenport IA
With guests of the German American Heritage Center invited to explore the powerful stories, struggles, and triumphs that shaped the fight for equality in our community, the fascinating traveling exhibition Davenport Civil Rights Movement will be on display at the Davenport venue from July 1 through 21.
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. Patrons of the German American Heritage Center are invited to discover how local actions helped drive national change, and why these stories still matter today, through the exhibition whose tale is told in four individually themed sections – “The Ferment Begins (1945-1954),” “The Ferment Grows (1955-1963),” “Ferment at High Tide (1964-1968),” and “The Ferment Subsides (1969-1974)” – all on display on the venue's fourth floor.
Founded on August 1, 1994 as a private, not-for-profit organization, the German American Heritage Center (GAHC) seeks to preserve the heritage of our German speaking ancestors for present and future generations and to enrich our knowledge of the German immigrant experience. Today, GAHC, a National Historic Site, has evolved a museum that includes a large permanent exhibit and two rotating special exhibits. Within the permanent exhibit, visitors enjoy an orientation theater, six education stations, and two restored hotel rooms. Visitors enjoy an interactive experience as you learn about immigrants’ journey by sea, train and foot, to their final destination at the German American Heritage Center building, which was originally a very busy hotel for thousands of immigrants in the 1860s.
One of the highlights in the exhibit is called “Step into my Shoes.” Visitors will find footprints of a child, woman, and man at this section. They can step on any set of the footprints, which then triggers the corresponding character to appear before them on a screen and talk about their personal experience as an immigrant. Throughout this exhibition and the two rotating temporary exhibitions, visitors enjoy exploring many artifacts on display. The museum also provides educational programs, workshops, and classes relating to the German American experience and culture; assists in the coordination of festivals to foster an understanding of German American heritage; provides for cultural exchange through genealogy workshops and production of cultural presentations to the public; and partners with other heritage groups on programs, exhibits, and events.
The GAHC building was erected in the 1860s, and was originally the Standard Hotel where thousands of German immigrants stayed in the 1800s when they arrived in the area. The building was purchased in 1995, partially restored in 1999, and reopened to the public in May of 2000. In October of 2009, GAHC debuted a newly expanded space including a new large interactive permanent exhibit titled German Immigrant Experience, two traveling exhibit spaces, and large program facilities. GAHC offers several new programs based on the new permanent exhibit and two new temporary exhibit spaces.
Davenport Civil Rights Movement will be on display in the German American Heritage Center's fourth-floor galleries from July 1 through 31, general admission is $5-8 and free for venue members and children under three, and more information is available by calling (563)322-8844 and visiting GAHC.org.
