Omaha, Nebraska's Patton Hotel
Prior to the civil rights era, throughout the urban North, most white-owned hotels refused to allow black patrons to stay in their rooms. Black-owned hotels in segregated African American neighborhoods, like the Patton Hotel in Omaha, provided important accommodations for black musicians and other travelers when they came through the city. Some musicians would later reminisce about the “jam sessions” that took place at these African American hotels and the sense of “togetherness” they felt when they stayed there.
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2012
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Omaha (Neb.)
Omaha Star Delivery Boys
North Omaha has been home to a number of black newspapers dating back to the 1890s. African American newspapers have historically provided an important alternative to mainstream newspapers, which rarely covered events in black communities, seldom provided African American perspectives on important issues and generally offered a biased or discriminatory view of race relations. By far the most prominent and long-running African American newspaper in Omaha has been the Omaha Star, which was started during the 1930s by Mildred Brown and her husband and which is still published today. For many years, the Star employed a group of boys to deliver the paper each day, providing them with a unique opportunity to gain work experience.
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2011
1950 circa
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Omaha (Neb.)
1952 Newspaper Article Discussing Black Voting Power
Along with the thousands of African American migrants to the urban North during the mid-twentieth century came growing political power. Increasingly, black voters in the North could provide a meaningful margin in local, state and even national elections. This 1952 headline suggests that African American political power has much deeper roots in Nebraska than the more recent historic victory of Barack Obama as the nation’s first black president.
The American Record
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2011
The American Record
1952
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Omaha (Neb.)
Members of Omaha, Nebraska's Mt. Cavalry Church
North Omaha has been home to dozens of African American churches over the years, making religious institutions one of the most consistently vibrant aspects of the community. This undated photograph shows members of Mt. Calvary Church.
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2011
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Omaha (Neb.)
Omaha Firefighters
Black firefighters have a long history in Omaha, stretching back more than 100 years to the 1890s. Initially segregated, the Omaha Fire Department formally integrated its force in 1954, the same year as the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision.
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2011
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Omaha (Neb.)
Students at School during the Great Depression
Great Depression
Education has long been a key to African American community uplift in Omaha and across the Great Plains, despite the pervasive reality of segregation and discrimination. Black parents, students and their allies have consistently pressed for greater access to and improved standards in African American schools. Here, black students in Omaha during the Great Depression receive a lesson.
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2011
1930 circa
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Omaha (Neb.)
Fraternal Order Group Photo
Omaha was home to a wide range of black fraternal groups. The Elks and Masons were particularly strong in the city during the mid-twentieth century. Fraternal groups provided a social outlet, as well as opportunities for community betterment. Masons were well-known for their distinctive hats, also called a “fez.”
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2011
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Omaha (Neb.)
Mrs. Pinkston-Mitchell's Music Students
Florence Pinkston-Mitchell was a prominent piano teacher in North Omaha for many years during the mid-twentieth century. Art and music lessons were an important part of a child’s education for most middle-class African Americans. Over the years, Mrs. Pinkston-Mitchell taught hundreds of local children to play music.
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2011
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Omaha (Neb.)
Tickets to Omaha's Dreamland Ballroom
North Omaha’s Dreamland Ballroom, located on 24th Street near Lake Street, was a prominent stop on the national and regional jazz and r&b circuit from the 1930s through the 1960s. Most of the leading acts played the Dreamland during these years. Do recognize any of the artists listed on these tickets from the early-1950s?
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2011
1955 circa
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Omaha (Neb.)
AFL-CIO Voting Rights Flyer
Undated AFL-CIO voting rights flyer.
AFL-CIO
Great Plains Black History Museum, North Omaha History Harvest, 2011
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