Davenport Community School District board members on Jan. 13 were presented with a new curriculum book, Freedom Is Beautiful: African American Migration to Iowa in the Civil War Era, developed with community partners and designed to support place‑based third‑grade instruction.

The presentation described a multi‑year collaboration among the district, the University of Iowa’s Iowa Women’s Archives, the Putnam Museum, LULAC, the NAACP and community historians. Janet Weaver, curator at the University of Iowa Iowa Women’s Archives, said the book follows biographical stories of African Americans who migrated to Iowa in and after the Civil War and that the illustrations were created by local artist Gwen Ballard Patton. Weaver also said the project was made possible by a donation from Virginia Eicacker that funded labor and production costs.

The presenters told the board the book is intentionally aligned with Iowa social studies standards and with inquiry skills; Deirdre Doherty, professor of education resources at Knox College, explained how lessons using primary sources connect to state standards on inquiry and Iowa history. The district shared that the African American lessons were taught in 2024 and that the Latino lessons previously created were distributed statewide by the Iowa Department of Education.

Presenters emphasized community collaboration. Ryan Sadler, a local equity advocate who helped convene partners, credited local groups including Friends of MLK, the NAACP, LULAC and the Putnam Museum for contributing research and oral histories. Weaver said the book uses primary documents preserved in archives and scrapbooks; the Putnam Museum’s scrapbook will be digitized and made available through the Iowa Digital Library after conservation work.

Board members and student board members praised the book’s artwork and approach. Several school board members described the curriculum as “sticky” — likely to engage students by connecting history to local places — and asked about distribution. Presenters said the book was intentionally developed for third grade so that, over time, all district students will encounter the material; they also welcomed the idea of adding copies to school libraries and pursuing broader distribution through university and donor channels.

The presentation closed with recognition of many contributors, including local artists and community historians; Dr. Henry Brockington and representatives from the NAACP described decades of partnership with the district on equity initiatives. The presenters said additional lesson revisions will align classroom materials with the published book.

Board members did not take a formal vote related to the book during the meeting; the presentation was given as an informational item and celebration of the collaborative project.