North Omaha, Church History

The church has been very important to the African-American community. In North Omaha, the church has been a source of spiritual motivation by providing Sunday morning services, Bible study, and Vacation Bible School. Churches also serve the community by feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, providing college scholarships and job training services, serving in the Civil Rights Movement, and a variety of other services. When looking through African-American history in North Omaha, the church can be found at the center of all other aspects.

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North Omaha, Civil Rights

North Omaha has a long, complex history of Civil Rights that remains largely unnoticed. Not only is it the birthplace of an important political and cultural leader, Malcolm Little, but also home of one of the longest running Black newspapers, the Omaha Star. From a small town barbershop on 24th & Spencer to marches and demonstrations that changed people’s lives—Omaha has captured people’s attention from Presidential candidates to the common folk. However, much of this history remains largely invisible…until now.

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North Omaha, Education in Omaha

African Americans have faced numerous obstacles over the years including several within the field of education. From segregation, to unfair hiring practices, to outdated textbooks, to dilapidated buildings, African Americans are still persevering. African American parents realized that their children were not receiving an equal education and decided to take legal action against the Omaha Public Schools district in the hopes of having a more integrated educational system. The courts intervened to assist in the desegregation of OPS. Eventually mandatory busing was put into place essentially integrating the district in the 1970's. In 1999 the Omaha Public School district ended mandatory busing. Students could then choose to go to any school they wanted, but most chose their neighborhood schools. Due to the issues surrounding redlining, the practice of steering members of certain racial groups to live in certain areas of the city, race based neighborhoods are causing the classroom images of segregation from the past to slowly creep back into some schools.

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North Omaha

Despite segregation and racism, African Americans in Omaha created a vibrant local culture and found ways to have fun. Some of the unique leisure and entertainment opportunities for local black people included Kellom swimming pool, a putt-putt golf course, a skating rink and several theaters where local people saw concerts and plays. By looking at entertainment in North Omaha, we can see the many positive ways African Americans built their community.

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North Omaha, Music

Jazz played an important part in the history of North Omaha. Preston Love once said, "If New York, Chicago, and Kansas City were the major leagues of jazz, Omaha was the Triple-A.” Omaha was a stop for many of the top jazz musicans in the nation from the 1920s to the 1960s. The thriving jazz culture also gave birth to many great native Omahan musicans. Most African American jazz musicians were not allowed to play with the white musicians, those wanting to hear them were very limited on where they could go. Because of this, the Dreamland Ballroom at 24th and Grant Streets became the popular destination for lovers of jazz music in Omaha. The Dreamland Ballroom was where most famous African American jazz musicians played, giving members of the community a chance to experience the energy and excitement of the era. 

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North Omaha, The Great Migration

In the early 1900s, African-Americans sought a better life in the North. Jim Crow Laws in the South reinforced segregation and discrimination. Agricultural problems also made it difficult for African-Americans to make a living in the South. African-Americans migrated to Omaha seeking better jobs. Labor recruiters, northern newspapers that were sent south, and simple word of mouth helped to keep a steady flow of African-American workers coming north during WWI. African-Americans often migrated north on trains or buses, traveling with limited possessions, but filled with hope for a better life. African-Americans in Omaha settled first in South Omaha for the packing jobs. Then they moved to the north part because of available housing and because they could own their own businesses. North Omaha quickly became the heart of the African-American community.

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North Omaha, Work

This page explores the history of African American work and business in Omaha. The topic has been broken into three main sections: the stockyards, the businesses of Twenty-fourth Street, and employment with the Union Pacific Railroad. The stockyards (and the meat-packing plants associated with them) were a major factor in attracting African Americans to the city. Twenty-fourth Street was the center of North Omaha's African American community during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, but deteriorated during the turbulent years of the Civil Rights Movement. In recent years, there have been efforts to revitalize the district. The Union Pacific Railroad began employing African Americans as strikebreakers during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, and later offered African Americans jobs as porters, cooks, and waiters. Although these jobs were service-based, they generally paid much better than jobs available in the South and were therefore well-respected within Omaha’s Black community.

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North Omaha, World War II

During World War II, the Hastings Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD), located 150 miles west of Omaha, played a central role in the nation’s war effort. Life on the base usually consisted of work, work, and more work. Soldier's responsibilities included everything from cleaning up to loading munitions to playing to entertain officers and visitng dignitaries. However, Hastings offered Black soldiers few entertainment options when they were given a pass to leave the base. As a result, Black troops looked toward North Omaha when they wanted to relax and have fun.

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Military Service, Civil War

During the years of the Civil War thousands of African Americans played a crucial role in defending our freedoms. As the guns fell silent across the nation these newly minted veterans saw new lives in the North. Hundreds of veterans and their families established themselves in Omaha. Among those who made Omaha home are three men: Edward Jones, Josiah Waddle, July Miles. We learned about the roles they played in one of the pivotal conflicts in our history.  

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North Omaha, Military Service, Vietnam

America began taking direct military action in Vietnam in 1964 and ended the draft and signed peace accords in 1973. North Vietnam and South Vietnam were at war over the issue of communism. This conflict was a continuation of the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union. The United States supported South Vietnam because it was non-communist.

This controversial conflict created tension in the United States, which coincided with social, political, and racial unrest. The United States military drafted many African Americans to fight in Vietnam. This website celebrates the lives and contributions of Omaha’s Black Vietnam Veterans.

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