African American Histories
African American Homesteaders
The Moses Speese Family was one of the most well-known Black homestead groups in Nebraska. They settled in Cherry County, Nebraska where they claimed their land. Moses and his brother, Jeremiah Shores, were separated during slavery, and reunited in Nebraska, constructed sod houses, and worked the land. Moses's son, John said about his family, "What a poor colored man can accomplish every man in the East can do, with vim, economy and integrity."
African American Churches
By 1931, Pilgrim Baptist Church was established on the corner of 25th and Hamilton in North Omaha. The church was started by migrants from Alabama who came to Omaha to work in the stockyards. Members became active in developing the North Omaha community and the church itself. The picture shows some members of the congregation participating in Vacation Bible School in 1931. (Photo from The Durham Museum Archives)
Elizabeth Davis Pittman - Lawyer/Judge
Elizabeth Davis Pittman was the first Black female to graduate from Creighton Law School (1948), be elected to the Omaha School Board (1950), and be appointed to the Douglas County attorney office (1964). In 1971, Governor Jim Exon appointed Pittman to be a Douglas County Municipal Judge, giving her the honor to serve as both the first Black judge and the first female judge in the state of Nebraska. Throughout her career, Pittman advocated for women and Black people in the legal field. Pittman's perseverance and diligence made her a pioneer.
African American Civil Rights Organizations
In 1963, Omaha Star publisher Mildred Brown and two Black ministers, Rudy McNair and Kelsey Jones formed the Citizens' Coordinating Committee for Civil Liberties (4CL). Although the group was militant, they were non-violent in their civil disobedience. They held numerous sit- ins and marches bringing attention to African American discrimination in housing, education, businesses and at Peony Park swimming pool They encouraged more Blacks to get involved, especially those who were not satisfied with the NAACP's tactics. It was a way of unifying many in the Near North Side community. (Photo from the Douglas County Historical Society Archives)
Tuskegee Airmen
Alfonza W. Davis was born and raised in Omaha. He grew up in a home on North 29th Street and attended Omaha Technical High School where he graduated as class valedictorian in 1937. In March of 1941, Davis enlisted in the US Army. After about a year in the army, Davis was accepted to the Tuskegee Airman program. In 1944 Capt. Davis went missing during a mission over Italy and was later declared killed in action. Before Capt. Davis died, he became one of the great pilots of World War Il as the leader of five attacks, one of which destroyed 83 German aircraft.
African American Histories
This subject area focuses on the history of African Americans in Omaha as well as other areas of the state of Nebraska. Student projects cover politics, religion, education, housing, labor, war, music, visual and dramatic arts, sports, business, journalism, community events, and migration and immigration. Within these topics, numerous themes appear and recur, including the role of the spiritual and sacred in the personal and public lives of African Americans; the role of major figures as well as community mobilization in the advance of Black civil rights in Omaha; the effects of segregation and integration on Black education; the role of Black-owned businesses in the economic strength of the local community as well as their role as multipurpose sites, doubling as community institutions and social centers; and much more. In the end, these projects offer a wide-ranging and in-depth look at the history of African Americans in Omaha and greater Nebraska.