Timeline of racial tension in Omaha, Nebraska

The timeline of racial tension in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

lists events in African-American history in Omaha. These included racial violence, but also include many firsts as the African- American community built its institutions. Omaha has been a major industrial city on the edge of what was a rural, agricultural state. It has attracted a more diverse population than the rest of the state. Its issues were common to other major industrial cities of the early 20th century, as it was a destination for 19th and 20th century European

European ethnic groups

The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....

immigrants, and internal white and African-American migrants from the South

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

in the Great Migration

Great Migration (African American)

The Great Migration was the movement of 6 million blacks out of the Southern United States to the Northeast, Midwest, and West from 1910 to 1970. Some historians differentiate between a Great Migration , numbering about 1.6 million migrants, and a Second Great Migration , in which 5 million or more...

. Many early 20th century conflicts arose out of labor struggles, postwar social tensions and economic problems, and hiring of later immigrants and black migrants as strikebreakers in the meatpacking and stockyard industries. Massive job losses starting in the 1960s with the restructuring of the railroad, stockyards and meatpacking industries contributed to economic and social problems for workers in the city.

19th century

Events reflecting racial tension in 19th century Omaha chronological order
Date	Issue	Event
1804	Slavery History of slavery in Nebraska The history of slavery in Nebraska is generally seen as short and limited. The issue was contentious for the legislature between the creation of the Nebraska Territory in 1854 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. However, there was apparently a particular acceptance of African...	The first recorded instance of a black person Black people The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a... in the Omaha area is York York (Lewis and Clark) York was an African American slave best known for his participation with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. As William Clark's slave, he performed hard manual labor without pay, but participated as a full member of the expedition. Like many other expedition members, his ultimate fate is unclear... , who arrives in Omaha area as a slave of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William... .
1854	Treaty rights	The Omaha Tribe sells the majority of its tribal land, four million acres (16,000 km²), to the United States for less than 22 cents an acre.
1854	Slavery	Nebraska Territory Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854... created by Congress with condition that the area stay free of slavery.
1855	Slavery	Ongoing debate occurs in the early Territorial Legislature regarding slavery.
1859	Slavery	"The bill introduced in [Omaha City] Council, for the abolition of slavery Abolitionism Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first... in this Territory, was called up yesterday, and its further consideration postponed for two weeks. A strong effort will be made among the Republicans to secure its passage; we think, however, it will fail. The farce certainly cannot be enacted if the Democrats do their duty." - From an 1859 Daily Nebraskian newspaper.
1860	Slavery	The Omaha-based Nebraskian newspaper quotes the Chicago Times and Herald Chicago Times The Chicago Times was a newspaper in Chicago from 1854 to 1895 when it merged with the Chicago Herald.The Times was founded in 1854, by James W. Sheahan, with the backing of Stephen Douglas, and was identified as a pro-slavery newspaper. In 1861, after the paper was purchased by Wilbur F... regarding a slave named "Eliza" who ran away from an Omaha businessman to Chicago and was arrested there under the Fugitive Slave Act.
1860	Slavery	Census shows 81 Negroes in Nebraska, 10 of whom were slaves.
1865	Voting rights	A clause in the original proposed Nebraska State Constitution limited voting rights in the state to "free white males". This kept Nebraska from entering the Union for almost a year.
1867	African American church African American church The term black church or African-American church refers to Christian churches that minister to predominantly African-American congregations in the United States... es	St. John's African Methodist Episcopal Church St. John's African Methodist Episcopal Church St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church was the first church for African Americans in Nebraska, organized in North Omaha in 1867. It is located at 2402 North 22nd Street in the Near North Side neighborhood. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was... organizes as the first church for African Americans in Nebraska.
1879	Native American Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... rights	Standing Bear v. Crook, held at Fort Omaha Fort Omaha Fort Omaha, originally known as Sherman Barracks and then Omaha Barracks, is an Indian War-era United States Army supply installation. Located at 5730 North 30th Street, with the entrance at North 30th and Fort Streets in modern-day North Omaha, Nebraska, the facility is primarily occupied by ... , recognizes American Indians Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... as persons in the U.S. Federal Court United States federal courts The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:... .
1891	Lynching Lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...	A man called Joe Coe Joe Coe Joe Coe, also known as George Smith, was an African-American laborer who was lynched on October 18, 1891 in Omaha, Nebraska. Overwhelmed by a mob of one thousand at the Douglas County Courthouse, the twelve city police officers stood by without intervening... , an African-American, is lynched Lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that... by a mob for raping a white woman. No one was charged or convicted for his murder.
1894	Racial segregation Racial segregation in the United States Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...	The first African-American fair held in the United States takes place in Omaha in July.
1899		A local black singer named J. A. Smith died while in custody at the Omaha jail. Arrested for "loud talking" on a public street, Smith and an accomplice were moving through the building when he and an officer had an altercation, and he struck out. The officer struck back at Smith, who fell against a bench and later died. A police examiner thought there was something resembling a stiletto wound in the back of his skull. Anton Inda, the officer, was charged with murder.

1900 to 1950

Events reflecting racial tension in Omaha from 1900 to 1950 chronological order
Date	Issue	Event
1905	Riot Riot A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...	More than 800 students, children of European immigrant laborers in South Omaha, protested the presence of Japanese Japanese people The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries... students, the children of strikebreakers. Protesting students locked adults out of their school buildings.
1907		Mayor "Cowboy" James Dahlman James Dahlman James Charles Dahlman , also known as Jim Dahlman, Cowboy Jim and Mayor Jim, was elected to eight terms as mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, serving the city for 20 years over a 23-year-period. A German-American and an agnostic, Dahlman grew up in a ranching area and started working as a Texas cowboy... lasso Lasso A lasso , also referred to as a lariat, riata, or reata , is a loop of rope that is designed to be thrown around a target and tighten when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the American cowboy. The word is also a verb; to lasso is to successfully throw the loop of rope around something... ed the editors of the Law Journal of Tokyo during their diplomatic visit to Omaha after their asking him about cow punching.
1909	Race riot Race riot A race riot or racial riot is an outbreak of violent civil disorder in which race is a key factor. A phenomenon frequently confused with the concept of 'race riot' is sectarian violence, which involves public mass violence or conflict over non-racial factors.-United States:The term had entered the...	The Greek Town Riot Greek Town Riot The Greek Town Riot was a race riot in South Omaha, Nebraska on February 21, 1909. According to the New York Times, 3,000 men were responsible for killing one boy, displacing the entire population of Greek Town, and burning down the Greek neighborhood in South Omaha.- Background :In February 1909,... destroyed a successful Greek Greeks in Omaha, Nebraska The community of Greeks in Omaha, Nebraska has a history that extends back to the 1880s. After they originally moved to the city following work with the railroads, the community quickly grew and founded a substantial neighborhood in South Omaha that was colloquially referred to as "Greek Town." The... immigrant community in South Omaha. A European ethnic mob of 3,000 burnt the community to the ground after a Greek man mortally wounded an ethnic Irish policeman while being taken into custody. Greek residents were forced to leave town.
1910		African Americans build an "Old Colored Folks Home" in North Omaha.
1912	Civil rights Civil rights movement in Omaha, Nebraska The Civil rights movement in Omaha, Nebraska has roots that extend back until at least 1912. With a history of racial tension that starts before the founding of the city, Omaha has been the home of numerous overt efforts related to securing civil rights for African Americans since at least the...	Omaha chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People National Association for the Advancement of Colored People The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to... opens.
1917	Black nationalism Black nationalism Black nationalism advocates a racial definition of indigenous national identity, as opposed to multiculturalism. There are different indigenous nationalist philosophies but the principles of all African nationalist ideologies are unity, and self-determination or independence from European society...	George Wells Parker George Wells Parker George Wells Parker was an African American political activist and writer who co-founded the Hamitic League of the World.... founds the Hamitic League of the World Hamitic League of the World Hamitic League of the World was an African American nationalist organization. Its declared aims were:The word Hamitic derives from Ham the son of Noah in the Old Testament. The organisation was founded in 1917 by George Wells Parker. In 1918 it published his pamphlet Children of the Sun... in Omaha.
1918		As veterans from World War I World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... attempt to return to their civilian jobs, violent strikes break out in the South Omaha meat packing industry when they discover African American and Eastern Europe Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"... an immigrants in their former positions.
1918	Black nationalism	Cyril Briggs becomes editor of the African Blood Brotherhood African Blood Brotherhood The African Blood Brotherhood for African Liberation and Redemption was a radical U.S. black liberation organization established in 1919 in New York City by journalist Cyril Briggs. The group was established as a propaganda organization built on the model of the secret society... journal, The Crusader, which is printed and distributed in Omaha.
1919	Lynching	African-American Willy Brown is lynched by a mob from South Omaha after being accused of raping a white woman from that neighborhood. There was a background of resentment against blacks among the ethnic and immigrant white working class in South Omaha because blacks were hired as strikebreakers. The reform mayor tried to calm the crowd; he was also lynched by the mob; only a last minute rescue saved his life. The sheriff and police could not control the mob, numbering in the thousands. No perpetrators were brought to trial. US Army troops were stationed in South Omaha to prevent another mob from forming among white immigrants and ethnic Americans, and in North Omaha to protect the black community.
1920s	Racial segregation	Racial segregation becomes normalized as redlining Redlining Redlining is the practice of denying, or increasing the cost of services such as banking, insurance, access to jobs, access to health care, or even supermarkets to residents in certain, often racially determined, areas. The term "redlining" was coined in the late 1960s by John McKnight, a... and restrictive covenants keep African Americans in North Omaha. Harry Haywood Harry Haywood Harry Haywood was a leading figure in both the Communist Party of the United States and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union . He contributed major theory to Marxist thinking on the national question of African Americans in the United States... is said to have become radicalized by the white mob rule Ochlocracy Ochlocracy or mob rule is government by mob or a mass of people, or the intimidation of legitimate authorities.As a pejorative for majoritarianism, it is akin to the Latin phrase mobile vulgus meaning "the fickle crowd", from which the English term "mob" was originally derived in the... that overtook South Omaha in 1919, which drove him to become a leader of the Communist Party of America.
1920	Racial segregation	The Colored Commercial Club organizes to help blacks secure employment and to encourage business enterprises among African Americans in Omaha.
1921	Labor unrest	Violent strikes broke out in the South Omaha meatpacking plants in reaction to African-American and Eastern-European workers, as well as attempts by labor to organize the plants.
1921	Civil rights	Earl Little, Malcolm X's father, founds the Omaha chapter of Marcus Garvey's Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League... Universal Negro Improvement Association.
1921	White supremacy White supremacy White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...	The Ku Klux Klan Ku Klux Klan Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically... reports its first Klavern in Nebraska being formed in Omaha.
1926	White supremacy	After being born in Omaha Malcolm X House Site The Malcolm X House Site located at 3448 Pinkney Street in North Omaha, Nebraska, marks the place where Malcolm X first lived with his family. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and is also on the Nebraska list of heritage sites.-History:Malcolm Little was born... in 1925, Malcolm X's family was forced to move from their home Malcolm X House Site The Malcolm X House Site located at 3448 Pinkney Street in North Omaha, Nebraska, marks the place where Malcolm X first lived with his family. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and is also on the Nebraska list of heritage sites.-History:Malcolm Little was born... in North Omaha by the Ku Klux Klan Ku Klux Klan Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically... 's threatening Earl Little and his family's safety.
1928	Civil rights	The Urban League of Nebraska founded its first chapter in the American West in Omaha.
1929	Civil rights	Whitney Young Whitney Young Whitney Moore Young Jr. was an American civil rights leader.He spent most of his career working to end employment discrimination in the United States and turning the National Urban League from a relatively passive civil rights organization into one that aggressively fought for equitable access to... leads the Urban League in Omaha to triple its membership.
1930s	Civil rights	The Knights and Daughters of Tabor, also known as the "Knights of Liberty", was founded in Omaha in this decade as a secret African-American organization whose goal was "nothing less than the destruction of slavery."
1938		Mildred Brown Mildred Brown Mildred Brown was an African American journalist, newspaper publisher, and leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska. Part of the Great Migration, she came from Alabama via Chicago and Des Moines, Iowa... with her husband founds the Omaha Star Omaha Star The Omaha Star is a newspaper founded in 1938 in North Omaha, Nebraska by Mildred Brown and her husband S. Edward Gilbert. Housed in the historic Omaha Star building in the Near North Side neighborhood, today the Omaha Star is the only remaining African-American newspaper in Omaha and the only one... , likely becoming the first woman, and definitely the first African-American woman, to found a newspaper in the U.S. She continued the paper for 50 years on her own, for the rest of her life. It celebrated African-American contributions and successes in Omaha and America, and became the only newspaper for African Americans in Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.... . Her niece continues to operate the paper since Brown's death.
1942	Racial segregation	Alfonza W. Davis from Omaha fights in the segregated unit known as the Tuskegee Airmen Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps.... . He is presumed KIA Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... when his aircraft disappears in 1944.
1947	Community activism	The DePorres Club DePorres Club The DePorres Club was an early pioneer organization in the Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska, whose "goals and tactics foreshadowed the efforts of civil rights activists throughout the nation in the 1960s." The club was an affiliate of CORE.-History:... begins at Creighton University Creighton University Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by... , actively seeking to fight racial discrimination in Omaha's housing and job markets.
1948	Community activism	The DePorres Club stages Omaha's first sit-in Sit-in A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met... at a restaurant in the Douglas County Courthouse Douglas County Courthouse (Omaha) The present Douglas County Courthouse is located at 1701 Farnam Street in Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1912, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Notable events at the courthouse include two lynchings and the city's first Civil Rights Era sit-in protest... in Downtown Omaha Downtown Omaha Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and is located in Omaha, Nebraska. The boundaries are 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline... with 30 members joining. The restaurant commits to desegregation.
1948	Community activism	Mildred Brown invites the DePorres Club to meet at the offices of the Omaha Star Omaha Star The Omaha Star is a newspaper founded in 1938 in North Omaha, Nebraska by Mildred Brown and her husband S. Edward Gilbert. Housed in the historic Omaha Star building in the Near North Side neighborhood, today the Omaha Star is the only remaining African-American newspaper in Omaha and the only one... after it was kicked off of Creighton's campus.

1950 to 2000

According to several prominent Omaha historians, racial discrimination was a significant issue in Omaha from the 1950s through the 2000s. Analyzing race relations in Omaha during the period they commented, "1968 rivals 1919 as probably the worst year in the history of twentieth-century America from the standpoint of violence and internal tension." In 1969 three days of rioting swept the Near North Side

Near North Side (Omaha, Nebraska)

The Near North Side of Omaha, Nebraska is the neighborhood immediately north of downtown. It forms the nucleus of the city's African-American community, and its name is often synonymous with the entire North Omaha area...

, and in 1970 a policeman was killed by a suitcase bomb while answering a disturbance call at a house in North Omaha. However, as the 1966 Oscar-nominated documentary A Time for Burning
A Time for Burning
A Time for Burning is a 1966 American documentary film which explores the attempts of the minister of Augustana Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska, to persuade his all-white congregation to reach out to "negro" Lutherans in the city's north side. The film was directed by San Francisco filmmaker...

and the 1970s books of Lois Mark Stalvey

Lois Mark Stalvey

Lois Mark Stalvey was an author, educator and civil rights activist. She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and died in Sedona, Arizona...

illustrated, the violence apparently served a purpose as lines of communication were opened between the "West Omaha matron and the black laborer."

Events reflecting racial tension in Omaha from 1950 to 2000 chronological order
Date	Issue	Event
1950s	Racial discrimination	"We Don't Serve Any Colored Race." - Signs occur in cafe windows throughout the city.
1952-54	Boycott	The Omaha Bus Boycott was led by the DePorres Club DePorres Club The DePorres Club was an early pioneer organization in the Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska, whose "goals and tactics foreshadowed the efforts of civil rights activists throughout the nation in the 1960s." The club was an affiliate of CORE.-History:... , including Mildred Brown Mildred Brown Mildred Brown was an African American journalist, newspaper publisher, and leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska. Part of the Great Migration, she came from Alabama via Chicago and Des Moines, Iowa... , who extolled readers of the Omaha Star to "Don’t ride Omaha’s buses or streetcars. If you must ride, protest by using 18 pennies." Focusing on ending the Omaha and Council Bluffs Street Railway Company's policy of not hiring black drivers, the boycott was successful.
1955	Community activism	Picketing and other protests are held at Peony Park Peony Park Peony Park was an amusement park located at North 78th and Cass Streets in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1919, over the next seventy-five years the park included a pool, beach and waterslide, a ballroom that billed itself as "1 acre under one roof," an open air dance area for 3000 dancers,... after the amusement park refuses to allow black athletes to participate in a regional swim meet. A Nebraska Supreme Court trial finds the park guilty of violating the state's desegregation laws and fines it $50.
1958	Community organizing Community organizing Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. A core goal of community organizing is to generate durable power for an organization representing the community, allowing it to influence...	A group of African-American educators in Omaha Public Schools starts a professional caucus called Concerned and Caring Educators.
1958	Civil rights	Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached at Salem Baptist Church in North Omaha.
1962	Community organizing	North Omaha resident Bertha Calloway Bertha Calloway Bertha Calloway is an African-American community activist and historian in North Omaha, Nebraska. The founder of the Negro History Society and the Great Plains Black History Museum, Calloway won awards from several organizations for her activism in the community and Nebraska... forms the Negro History Society.
1963	Civil rights	The Citizens Civic Committee for Civil Liberties, or 4CL, led by Black ministers, rallies to demand change civil rights Civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include... for all African Americans in Omaha through picketing, stand-ins during city council meetings, and other efforts.
1963	Civil rights	The Omaha Human Rights Commission is created, holding a rally of more than 10,000 people later in the year. However, organizations such as 4CL were suspicious that the Commission, led by Omaha's mayor, was a stalling tactic.
1963	Youth activism Youth activism Youth activism is when the youth voice is engaged in community organizing for social change. Around the world, young people are engaged in activism as planners, researchers, teachers, evaluators, social workers, decision-makers, advocates and leading actors in the environmental movement, social...	Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity (BANTU) was founded in Omaha to rally high school student activists Student activism Student activism is work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change. It has often focused on making changes in schools, such as increasing student influence over curriculum or improving educational funding... towards action.
1963	Youth activism	Local youth activists Youth activism Youth activism is when the youth voice is engaged in community organizing for social change. Around the world, young people are engaged in activism as planners, researchers, teachers, evaluators, social workers, decision-makers, advocates and leading actors in the environmental movement, social... were successful in bringing down the color barrier at Peony Park Peony Park Peony Park was an amusement park located at North 78th and Cass Streets in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1919, over the next seventy-five years the park included a pool, beach and waterslide, a ballroom that billed itself as "1 acre under one roof," an open air dance area for 3000 dancers,... , the city's main amusement park, after protesting at the admission gates for several weeks.
1964	Civil rights	Malcolm X speaks in Omaha.
1966	Race riot Race riot A race riot or racial riot is an outbreak of violent civil disorder in which race is a key factor. A phenomenon frequently confused with the concept of 'race riot' is sectarian violence, which involves public mass violence or conflict over non-racial factors.-United States:The term had entered the...	National Guard quells two days of rioting in North Omaha in July.
1966	Racial discrimination	A Time for Burning A Time for Burning A Time for Burning is a 1966 American documentary film which explores the attempts of the minister of Augustana Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska, to persuade his all-white congregation to reach out to "negro" Lutherans in the city's north side. The film was directed by San Francisco filmmaker... , a documentary made featuring North Omaha and its issues, is released. Later that year it is nominated for an Oscar.
1968	Race riot	National Guard quells North Omaha riots in April after the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..
1968	Civil rights	Robert Kennedy visits North Omaha in his quest to become president, speaking in support of Omaha's civil rights activists.
1969	Race riot	Riots erupt in June after an Omaha police officer fatally shoots teenager Vivian Strong in the Logan Fontenelle Public Housing Projects in North Omaha.
1969	Civil rights	54 black students staged a sit-in at the office of the University of Nebraska at Omaha University of Nebraska at Omaha The University of Nebraska at Omaha is a four-year state university located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Founded in 1908 as Omaha University, the institution became the public Municipal University of Omaha in 1931. It assumed its current name in 1968 following a merger into the University... president to lobby for African American history African American history African-American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United States. Most African Americans are the descendants of captive Africans held in the United States from 1619 to 1865... courses and student voice Student voice Student voice describes the distinct perspectives and actions of young people throughout schools focused on education."Student voice is giving students the ability to influence learning to include policies, programs, contexts and principles."... at the institution.
1970s	Urban renewal Urban renewal Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...	Construction of the North Freeway bisects North Omaha, cutting the African-American community in half and marring its social fabric.
1970	Political activism	Ernie Chambers Ernie Chambers Ernest W. Chambers is a former Nebraska State Senator who represented North Omaha's 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature. He is also a civil rights activist and is considered by most citizens of Nebraska as the most prominent and outspoken African American leader in the state... from North Omaha elected to Nebraska State Legislature.
1970		On August 17 an Omaha police officer is killed when an explosive blows up in an abandoned house in North Omaha. August 28 an African-American man named Duane Peak is arrested, and he implicates six others. August 31 David Rice and Ed Poindexter are arrested, despite not having been originally implicated.
1971		Rice and Poindexter were convicted of murder in the controversial Rice/Poindexter Case Rice/Poindexter Case David Rice and Edward Poindexter were charged and convicted of the murder of Omaha Police Officer Larry Minard. Minard died when a suitcase containing dynamite exploded in a North Omaha home on August 17, 1970... .
1971	Black studies	University of Nebraska-Omaha starts a Department of Black Studies in response to student activism Student activism Student activism is work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change. It has often focused on making changes in schools, such as increasing student influence over curriculum or improving educational funding... .
1974		Appeal for retrial of Rice and Poindexter denied by the Nebraska State Supreme Court.
1976	Racial integration Racial integration Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...	Omaha Public Schools Omaha Public Schools Omaha Public Schools is the largest school district in the state of Nebraska. This public school district serves a diverse community of more than 46,000 students at over 80 elementary and secondary schools in Omaha, Nebraska... begins court-ordered integrated busing.
1976	Community organizing	Negro History Society with leadership of Bertha Calloway formally opens the Great Plains Black History Museum Great Plains Black History Museum The Great Plains Black History Museum is located at 2213 Lake Street in the Near North Side neighborhood in North Omaha, Nebraska. It is housed in the Webster Telephone Exchange Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places... in the Webster Telephone Exchange Building Webster Telephone Exchange Building The Webster Telephone Exchange Building is located at 2213 Lake Street in North Omaha, Nebraska. It was designed by the well-known Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball. After the Easter Sunday Tornado of 1913, the building was used as the center of recovery operations... to celebrate African-American contributions to the city and region.
1981	Racism	Arsonists blaze an East Omaha duplex after an African-American family signs a rental agreement there. The arson is unsolved.
1993		The Nebraska Parole Board votes unanimously and repeatedly to commute Rice and Poindexter's sentences to time served Time served In criminal law, "time served" describes a sentence where the defendant is credited immediately after the guilty verdict with the time spent in remand awaiting trial. The time is usually subtracted from the sentence, with only the balance being served after the verdict... ; however, the Nebraska Board of Pardons refuses to schedule a hearing in the matter.
1995	Racism	Arsonists tip over and fire an African-American woman's car in East Omaha at the same location as the 1981 arson. Both cases are unsolved.
1996	Racial integration	Omaha Public Schools ends court-ordered busing.
1997	Police brutality	Marvin Ammons, an African-American Gulf War Gulf War The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf... veteran, is shot and killed by an Omaha police officer. A grand jury Grand jury A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing... indicts the officer for manslaughter Manslaughter Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates... , then the judgment was thrown out for jury misconduct. A second grand jury acquits the officer of wrongdoing and admonishes the Omaha police department for mishandling the case.

2000s

Events reflecting racial tension in Omaha from 2000 to present chronological order
Date	Issue	Event
2000	Police brutality	George Bibbins, an African American who leads Omaha police on a high speed chase, is shot and killed by officers at the end of the chase. A grand jury later acquits the accused officers.
2000	Institutional racism Institutional racism Institutional racism describes any kind of system of inequality based on race. It can occur in institutions such as public government bodies, private business corporations , and universities . The term was coined by Black Power activist Stokely Carmichael in the late 1960s...	Nebraska State Legislature sets term limit Term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for... s, with some suspecting this action to be targeted at Ernie Chambers.
2002		City of Omaha installs the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Cornerstone Memorial at the NW corner of 24th & Lake Streets.
2003	Racism	An African-American gang member shoots Jason Tye Pratt, an Omaha police officer. US Attorney General John Ashcroft John Ashcroft John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S... visits Pratt's wife and makes statement admonishing a Douglas County Douglas County, Nebraska -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 463,585 people, 182,194 households, and 115,146 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,401 people per square mile . There were 192,672 housing units at an average density of 582 per square mile... District Judge for offering the gang member second chances in past offenses.
2004	Institutional racism	Omaha police officer Tariq Al-Amin is fired from the police department for comments he made during a television show. He appeals and is reinstated with the maximum penalty allowed by police union contract, along with an apology for his comment.
2006	Racial discrimination	Ernie Chambers proposes separating Omaha Public Schools into three districts that reflect the city's racial composition: one for the predominately white western part of Omaha, one for the now predominately Hispanic South Omaha, and one for predominately black North Omaha. The Nebraska State Legislature approves the plan to be implemented in 2008. The NAACP is challenging the law at the US Supreme Court.
2007	Racism	In February unknown assailants robbed, firebomb Firebomb Firebomb may refer to:* Firebombing* Incendiary device* Molotov cocktail* A season 2 episode of the television show Alias* "Fire Bomb", a song by Rihanna from her 2009 album Rated R... ed, and spray painted a racist epithet on the side of an East Omaha grocery store owned by an Ethiopian Ethiopia Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2... immigrant. The crime is unsolved (incident was later found to be a case of classic insurance fraud) .

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19th century

1900 to 1950

1950 to 2000

2000s

See also

External links