Exhibit Envoy

The Smartest Way to Draw a Crowd

Wherever There’s A Fight: A History of Civil Liberties in California

Description

THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM & EQUALITY IN CALIFORNIA

Spanning the period from the Gold Rush to the post-9/11 era, the exhibition tells the stories of brave individuals throughout California who stood up for their rights in the face of social hostility, physical violence, economic hardship, and political stonewallling.

STORIES THAT ANIMATE THE HISTORY OF CIVIL LIBERTIES

The exhibition educates audiences about the evolution of civil liberties and civil rights in California and how they are central to democracy. The stories of personal struggles demonstrate the ongoing fight and provide a framework through which current controversies can be debated.

An African American woman wears period clothes and looks at the camera.
Former slave Biddy Masion became a midwife, property owner and philanthropist in Los Angeles. Courtesy of Security Pacific Collection, Los Angeles Public Library.
A colorful mural depicts the Sandlot riots.
Anton Refregier mural of the Sandlot riots.
Six people stand in a greenhouse facing forward.
Fred Korematsu (third from left with his family) was one of a few people who challenged the government incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Family photo courtesy of Karen Korematsu.

Exhibition Themes:

  • Although constitutions enumerate rights, its people who fight for equality and justice that make rights meaningful.
  • Civil liberties are essential for democracy.
  • Civil liberties struggles are repeated over time while targeted groups change.
  • Civil liberties are perpetually in flux. Each generation must fight to preserve them.

This exhibit is also available as an online exhibit! Book the online exhibit as a stand-alone experience, or pair it with the physical exhibit when you host. Visit our online exhibits page to learn more.

Wherever There’s a Fight is part of California Humanities’ Searching for Democracy, a thematic program designed to examine the meaning of democracy today. The exhibition is based on the Heyday Books publication Wherever There’s a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California, by Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi (2009), and is presented by Exhibit Envoy and curated by Elinson and Yogi.

Specs

Audience:
Adults, Teens
Rental Fee:
$350 + shipping for an 8-week booking
Size:
45 linear feet
Security:
Limited
Installation Images:
View Here

Exhibit Components:

  • 13 easy-to-install freestanding text/photo banners @ 3’ wide x 6.75’ tall each; total linear feet: 45’
  • Wherever There’s A Fight Resource Guide
  • Exhibition Manual
  • Press Kit

Schedule and Availability

October 2011 – December 2013
For full exhibition schedule contact Exhibit Envoy
December 15, 2013 – January 12, 2014
#2 & SPANISH – Santa Cruz Public Library
January 26, 2014 – March 23, 2014
#1 – Thousand Oaks Library
#2 & SPANISH – Monterey County Free Libraries
April 6, 2014 – June 1, 2014
#1 – Riverside Community College District, Riverside
#2 – Cesar Chavez Student Center, SFSU
June 15, 2014 – October 15, 2014
#2- JFK University, Berkeley
August 24, 2014 – October 19, 2014
#1 – California History Center, DeAnza College, Cupertino
SPANISH – California History Center, DeAnza College, Cupertino
November 2, 2014 – January 18, 2015
#1 – Evergreen Valley College, San Jose
#2 – California History Center, DeAnza College, Cupertino
SPANISH – California History Center, DeAnza College, Cupertino
February 1, 2015 – March 31, 2015
Sacramento Public Library
September 1, 2015 – September 30, 2015
October 6, 2015 – October 30, 2015
#2 – Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
November 8, 2015 – December 27, 2015
#2 – Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
January 10 – March 6, 2016
#2 – Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
August 21, 2016 – October 16, 2016
Summer 2017
April 1, 2018 – June 3, 2018
Menlo Park Library, Menlo Park
March 17, 2019 – May 12, 2019
May 26, 2019 – July 21, 2019
September 1, 2019 – October 6, 2019
October 20, 2019 – December 15, 2019
Skyline College, San Bruno
January 26, 2020 – March 22, 2020
San Luis Obispo Library, San Luis Obispo
February 14, 2021 – May 16, 2021
October 13, 2024 – December 8, 2024
Cabrillo College, Aptos
January 26, 2025 – May 25, 2025
Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
June 8, 2025 – August 3, 2025
Exhibit Maintenance
September 28, 2025 – November 23, 2025
Booking Pending
November 15, 2026 – January 24, 2027

This beloved show will travel indefinitely! Contact us to discuss booking dates.