2018.012.006 [Print, Photographic]

From 1968 to 1976, the Fort Madison NAACP fought plans to widen Highway 61 in a route that would remove many homes owned by Mexican and African Americans who could not buy homes elsewhere in Fort Madison due to discriminatory real estate practices. With help from the national NAACP, the Iowa Department of Transportation was forced to pick a different route for the highway in 1976. This picture was taken during a Highway Commission hearing held in Fort Madison. Content can be used with the following standards: 5th grade SS 5.26 Civil Rights and SS-Gov. 9-12.27 Unique Iowa Systems in a lesson on Iowans' contributions to Civil Rights progress. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions.