Civil rights movement in Omaha, Nebraska facts for kids
The civil rights movement in Omaha, Nebraska, has a long history, going back to at least 1912. Omaha has faced racial challenges even before the city was officially founded. Many efforts have been made to gain civil rights for African Americans in Omaha since the 1870s.
Contents
Early Steps for Rights
Before the main Civil Rights Movement started in the 1940s, some important events happened in Omaha. These events helped set the stage for later fights for equal rights.
Native American Rights
In 1876, a major court case called Standing Bear v. Crook took place in Omaha. A judge at Fort Omaha decided that Native Americans were "persons" under U.S. law. This meant they had the same rights as other citizens.
Standing Bear, a Ponca chief, was on trial. Local journalist Thomas Tibbles, Omaha resident Susette La Flesche, and General Crook all spoke up for Native American rights. Standing Bear won his case, which allowed his tribe to return to their homeland in Nebraska.
Early Challenges for Black Residents
Sadly, there were also violent acts against Black people in Omaha. In 1891, a Black man named Joe Coe was killed by a mob. Another terrible event happened in 1919 during the Omaha race riot of 1919. A white mob attacked the Douglas County Courthouse to take Willy Brown, a Black man. These events scared the Black community and led to them being separated from other parts of the city. The civil rights movement in Omaha really started to grow in the 1920s.
Organizing for Change
In the early 1900s, many African Americans moved to Omaha for jobs in the meatpacking industry. The Black population doubled between 1910 and 1920. Some people in the city did not like these changes. Many public places treated African Americans unfairly, even though segregation was not legal. For example, some restaurants had signs saying, "We Don't Serve Any Colored Race."
Forming Key Groups
One of the first organized efforts for civil rights in Omaha was the creation of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1912. Father John Albert Williams, an Episcopal minister, was its first president. This group has continued its work ever since.
Other civil rights groups also formed in Omaha:
- In 1917, George Wells Parker started the Hamitic League of the World in Omaha. This group believed in black nationalism, which focused on Black people having their own nation and power.
- In the 1920s, Baptist minister Earl Little started the Omaha chapter of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association. Earl Little was the father of Malcolm X, who became a famous Black Muslim leader. Malcolm X was born in Omaha in 1925, but his family moved away when he was young.
- The African Blood Brotherhood was also active in Omaha, especially around the time of the 1919 riot. Witnessing the violence made many people, like Harry Haywood, want to fight for change. Haywood later became a leader in the Communist Party USA.
Urban League and Women's Groups
In 1927, the first chapter of the Urban League in the Western United States was founded in Omaha. This group aimed to improve the lives of Black residents and build better relationships between different races. The Omaha Urban League (now the Urban League of Nebraska) has been led by important figures like Whitney M. Young, Jr.. Young greatly increased the group's members in the 1950s and later led the National Urban League.
During this time, the National Federation of Colored Women had five chapters in North Omaha with over 750 members. They did important social, political, and charity work. In 1920, the Colored Commercial Club was formed to help Black people find jobs and start businesses.
Workers' Rights and the Omaha Star
Many Black workers from the South found jobs in the South Omaha Stockyards. Working conditions were often very tough. These workers made progress by organizing with the Industrial Workers of the World in the 1920s.
In 1938, Mildred Brown started Omaha Star, the city's only African-American newspaper. It shared positive news, highlighted role models, and supported the local civil rights movement. The paper proudly reported on Captain Alfonza W. Davis, who was one of the Tuskegee airmen during World War II.
Political Representation
Matthew Oliver Ricketts, elected in 1892, was Nebraska's first African American state legislator from Omaha. After him, other Black leaders from North Omaha were elected to the State Legislature between the 1920s and WWII. These included John Andrew Singleton, Ferdinand L. Barnett, Dr. Aaron Manasses McMillan, and Johnny Owen.
In 1937, John Adams, Jr was elected. He was a lawyer who worked on Civil Rights cases and helped create the state's first public housing law. His father, John Adams, Sr, a well-known minister, also served in the Legislature.
Mid-Century Progress (1947–1962)
In 1947, students at Creighton University formed the DePorres Club. This club included both Black high school students and white college students. They worked to fight unfair treatment in housing and jobs.
In the 1950s, the Omaha Star newspaper offices became a meeting place for the DePorres Club after Creighton University no longer allowed them on campus. The club also opened the Omaha DePorres Center to help low-income families.
One of their early successes was the 1952–54 Omaha Bus Boycott. Mildred Brown urged Omaha Star readers to protest the Omaha and Council Bluffs Street Railway Company for not hiring Black drivers. The boycott worked!
In 1958, Black educators in Omaha Public Schools started a group called Concerned and Caring Educators, which still exists today. Later that year, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Salem Baptist Church in North Omaha.
The 1960s: A Time of Action (1963–1971)
The 1960s were a busy time for civil rights in Omaha. Activists often met at places like the Fair Deal Cafe and Goodwin's Spencer Street Barbershop, where a young Ernie Chambers worked as a barber. Other important activists included Rowena Moore, Lois Mark Stalvey, and Bertha Calloway.
Demanding Equal Rights
In 1963, Black ministers from North Omaha formed the "Citizens Civic Committee for Civil Liberties," or 4CL. They held rallies, picketed, and protested to demand equal rights for all African Americans. Their main goals were:
- Equal housing opportunities.
- Equal job opportunities.
- Integrated schools through busing.
That same year, young activists successfully ended the "color barrier" at Peony Park, the city's main amusement park, after weeks of protests.
The Nebraska Legislature created the Omaha Human Rights Commission in 1963 because of the protests. However, some activists felt this commission was just a way to delay real change.
National Leaders Visit Omaha
Many national civil rights leaders visited Omaha. After Dr. King spoke in 1958, Malcolm X spoke in Omaha in 1964. In 1966, Robert F. Kennedy visited North Omaha during his presidential campaign and spoke at Creighton University to support local activists.
Youth and Black Power
Starting in 1963, the Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity (BANTU) was a unique Omaha youth activism group. They organized Black students in high schools and focused on black power and self-determination. BANTU worked with the Omaha City Council and Senator Edward R. Danner to push for changes.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Black Panther Party was active in Omaha, organizing Freedom Schools.
Achievements and Legacy
The civil rights movement in Omaha achieved several important things:
- City facilities became desegregated in the late 1950s.
- In 1964, Omahan Gale Sayers became the first African American NFL player to share a room with a white player.
- The 1966 documentary A Time for Burning was nominated for an Oscar. It showed how white Omaha residents felt about African Americans in the 1960s.
- In 1968, Marlin Briscoe, a football star from a local high school, became the first Black quarterback in the American Football League.
- In 1970, local barber and law school graduate Ernie Chambers was elected to the Nebraska Legislature. He followed other Black legislators like Edward Danner, John Adams Sr., and John Adams Jr.
- The Negro History Society opened the Great Plains Black History Museum in 1976 to celebrate African American contributions.
While the movement didn't get all its goals, like state laws for equal housing and job opportunities, it did succeed in getting integrated school busing and jobs with the city's transit company. It also made people more aware of the unfairness faced by African Americans in Omaha.
Recent Years (1972–Present)
.jpg)
In 2002, the City of Omaha put up the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Cornerstone Memorial at 24th and Lake Streets. In 2003, Omaha native Thomas Warren became the city's first African American police chief, showing continued progress for Black leaders in the city.
In 2005, Ernie Chambers became the longest-serving State Senator in Nebraska history. He represented North Omaha in the Legislature for a total of 46 years.
In 2006, Senator Chambers proposed a plan to create three school districts in Omaha. These districts would generally follow the racial patterns of where people lived: Black people in North Omaha, Hispanic/Latinos in South Omaha, and white people in West Omaha. The State Legislature approved this plan.
However, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People sued, saying this plan would lead to segregated schools, which goes against the historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling. The Nebraska Supreme Court dismissed the case in 2007. Later, the Nebraska Legislature changed how schools were funded to try and make things more fair for students who needed more support.
In 2020, thousands of people in Omaha protested the murder of George Floyd and other police killings.
Related Publications
- Fletcher Sasse, Adam (2021) #OmahaBlackHistory: African American People, Places and Events in Omaha, NE. Olympia, WA: CommonAction Publishing
- Fletcher Sasse, Adam (2016) North Omaha History: Volume 1. Olympia, WA: CommonAction Publishing
- Fletcher Sasse, Adam (2016) North Omaha History: Volume 2. Olympia, WA: CommonAction Publishing
- Fletcher Sasse, Adam (2016) North Omaha History: Volume 3. Olympia, WA: CommonAction Publishing
