Since the death of George Floyd on May 25, fifteen to twenty-six million Americans have participated in protests, marches, and demonstrations; the largest single protest movement in American history.
Locally, an estimated 1,500 residents of Waterloo and Cedar Falls participated in about 12 protests since the first demonstration in Lincoln Park, Waterloo on May 29. The Museum began an initiative in early June to document the movement through the collection of stories, images, and objects. To date, the Museum has collected 61 protest-related objects from 13 donors and has collected almost 150 images from those same donors or from staff members.
In order to quickly reciprocate the generosity of the donors and to thank the community for its willing participation, the Museum has dedicated an extended Recent Acquisitions exhibit to telling the local story of the protests of 2020. Donors helped develop and plan the exhibit and wrote content to accompany their own pieces in the cases.