Fighting for Democracy Exhibition

Fighting for Democracy traces the real-life stories of seven young men and women whose lives were forever changed by the events of World War II.  Denied their fundamental rights, each of them, in his or her own way, chose to fight for equality, freedom, and justice overseas and at home.

Aimed at middle and high school students, Fighting for Democracy is an experiential exhibition that uses World War II as a case study to begin discussion about how women and minorities have expanded the meaning of “we” in “we, the people.”

The purpose of this interactive exhibition is to provide a teaching tool and discussion piece for educators and their students.  When visiting Fighting for Democracy, teachers and group leaders facilitate their students’ experience in the exhibition space, allowing educators to custom-tailor an educational experience to meet their curricular goals and to deepen their students’ understanding of democracy. 

Unlike a traditional museum exhibition, Fighting for Democracy is designed to engage youth participants in the content and to provide a safe space for them to vocalize their opinions through a facilitated experience.  This exhibition offers a multimedia resource for educators, presenting information in photographs, pull-out cards, quotes, oral history clips, educational activities and discussions.

Visits to Fighting for Democracy are reserved for school and youth groups, by appointment only, Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm. Appointments must be made at least 3 weeks in advance by using our online reservation form or by calling 213.830.5660.

Student visits to Fighting For Democracy average approximately 2-1/2 hours, depending on activity and teacher facilitation.  Group accommodation is based on availability and is assigned on a first-come-first-served basis.

Before bringing student groups to Fighting for Democracy, educators are strongly encouraged to sign up for a free professional development workshop.  These workshops will orient educators to the exhibition, prepare them to facilitate a hands-on experience, and introduce them to lesson ideas from the Fighting for Democracy Educator’s Resource Guide that can be done before, during and after a visit to the exhibition. Educators can also request a copy of the exhibition’s study guide or download it from the National Center web site prior to their visit to the Fighting for Democracy exhibition.