In celebration of the national American Civil Liberties Union’s 90th anniversary, the ACLU of Iowa is co-hosting an exhibit with the State Historical Building. The exhibit starts Friday, January 7. It highlights the crucial work of the organization over the last nine decades and illustrating the ACLU’s major contributions to defending the freedoms promised to all of us in the Constitution.
In addition to Iowa, the ACLU’s traveling exhibit will be on display in Nebraska, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Mexico Maine, New Jersey, Tennessee, Oklahoma, California, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Washington, D.C.
Some of the civil liberties milestones highlighted in the exhibit include the ACLU’s work overcoming legal obstacles to marriage for lesbian and gay couples, fighting racial segregation in public schools, defending women’s reproductive freedom, protecting every American’s constitutionally guaranteed right to vote, defending free speech and privacy on the Internet and its post-9/11 work battling government secrecy, abuses of power and human rights violations. Iowa's landmark 1969 U.S. Supreme Court student rights case, Tinker v. The Des Moines Independent Schools, is also included.
"The growth of civil liberties in the past 90 years represents one of the most significant developments in American history," said Ben Stone, Executive Director of the ACLU of Iowa. "Since the ACLU of Iowa recently celebrated its 75th year, we thought it especially appropriate to bring the ACLU's national 90th exhibit to Iowa. The ACLU's anniversary exhibit charts how the organization's tireless work challenging unconstitutional laws and practices has made the Constitution a living document for everyone in the country."
Friday, January 7th - Sunday, January 23
9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday
Noon - 4:30 p.m. Sunday
Closed Monday and official state holidays
Atrium of State Historical Building
600 East Locust
Des Moines, Iowa, 50319
515-281-5111
Admission is free
