Research compiled by: Domonique J., Keith M., Micah W., Lindsay B., and Akia S.
During WWI, white men left to fight overseas. Many employers began recruiting southern African-Americans to come North to fill the labor void. The primary industries in Omaha that attracted black workers were the packing houses, railroads, and stockyards. African-Americans hoped these new opportunities would provide the basis for a new and better life, away from the Jim Crow South. (Photo courtesy of Douglas County Historical Society).
William Brown was a 40 year old black man who was wrongly accused of attacking a white woman; this event sparked the Omaha Race Riot of 1919. His grave is at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Potter’s Field. The quote “Lest We Forget” means we should never forget this situation and reminds us that everyone should be treated fairly, regardless of their race.
“African Americans in Omaha.” Omaha Commons. https://omaha.ne.us.towncommons.com/African_Americans_in_Omaha
Williams, Rev. John Albert. The Monitor. 3 March 1922, 1.
Additional Making Invisible Histories Visible content on the Great Migration:
The interactive MIHV "Great Migration" eBook is available for free download here From the Nebraska Department of Education website!