KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers Johnson County. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of healthcare, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
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The Johnson County Museum's "Everyday Democracy" exhibit takes visitors through the highs and lows of local and national history as America marks its 250th birthday on July 4.
The exhibit features the Declaration of Independence, segregation and integration, voting rights, the first recorded minutes of the first Johnson County governing body meeting, and much more.
Christina Brown, a Johnson County resident visiting the exhibit Monday, said she brought her grandchildren to connect them to the stories that shaped their community.
"I think it's important, first of all, to learn the local history about where they live at," Brown said.
Brown said she also wants her grandchildren to understand their role in the country's future.
"We all have a responsibility to be good citizens to make a good country," Brown said.
Mary McMurray, PhD, the director of the Johnson County Museum, said the exhibit shows how democracy has played out at the local level across generations.
"It's a great way to look at how democracy has lived locally, right here, in decisions everybody makes; sometimes working together, sometimes working against one another," McMurray said.
McMurray said her favorite part of the exhibit comes at the end, where visitors can write a postcard to future generations.
She read one postcard on display: "We tried to make our home welcoming, sustainable and inclusive, participatory and fair. We look to you to pick up the torch."
McMurray said words have always been central to American democracy.
"It was words that people wrote that started America, and it's words that people wrote that are going to keep it going," McMurray said.
Brown's granddaughter, Grace Conover, said the lessons of the exhibit are ones she plans to carry forward.
"If we made mistakes in the past, we can learn from them, and if we did great things in the past, we can remember it," Conover said.
"Everyday Democracy" is free with museum admission and is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The exhibit runs through January 2027.
The Johnson County Museum is offering two free admission days on July 10 and July 24 for Johnson County Library cardholders. Museum staff will be available to sign up visitors who do not yet have a library card.
Through July 31, the first 10 visitors each day who say "Happy Birthday USA" at the front desk during check-in will receive a free pocket constitution created exclusively for the exhibit.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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