OMAHA BLACK HISTORY
Adam Fletcher Sasse is the guest on Throwing Down Some Heavy Light. We will
discuss his book, #OmahaBlackHistory, which explores African American People,
Places, and events in Omaha, Nebraska’s history. Adam, a volunteer historian who is a Canadian citizen, was raised in North Omaha. His love for North Omaha was developed by the many role models and elders who demonstrated love during his formative years. What is unique about this book is that it utilizes the Omaha racist newspapers and other yellow journalism publications to document the efforts of African Americans to gain their rights in Omaha since the founding of this city. The book cites the various professionals who lived and worked to help advance social justice for African Americans. During his historical research, he uncovered systemic racism, institutional factors, and the many murders by law enforcement in Omaha’s history, with no real repercussions. This book will be featured along with the author in the History Conference on October 4th in Omaha. We aim to cultivate discerning minds, be open to new knowledge and perspectives, particularly those shared by African American participants and individuals seeking authentic history, rather than the whitewashed, fake history or lies perpetuated by the hunters and their supporters of oppression and phony history. Our goal is to provide a blueprint where other aspiring writers or historians can tell their stories from their safe perspectives. Join us on July 30 at 6 p.m.
Engaging The Youth
Training and Consulting for Results.
Rachelle M. Tucker is a board member of MORE. She has extensive experience in
many areas. She worked for Urban League of Nebraska, the Omaha Housing Authority and is currently the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Engaged Insight Foundation.
Rachelle also runs a consulting business, providing training and consulting services in public housing areas. Additionally, she works with young women in the sports arena, particularly in basketball. One of the current programs she directs, in collaboration with the Engaged Insight Foundation, is helping to sponsor young adults to visit some of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
She will discuss these activities and share insights on how we can address communication issues, as well as observations for nonprofits, community leaders, grassroots advocates, and others to consider during these challenging times. One of her theories is how we can have authentic conversations in both our private and public spaces.
The Historical Role and Relations of African American Males in The Community
Education for Black Students
Mia Crawford-Gray is a Kansas native who moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1989, immediately after graduating from the University of Kansas with a B. A. degree in psychology. She served as an educational paraprofessional at her son’s elementary school, was formally trained by Omaha Public Schools as a family advocate, and currently shares a business with her retired husband that provides tutoring and administrative services to a local mentoring program.
Mia worked as a family advocate and researcher for the Justice for Kids Initiative, a grassroots program supported by the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation. She combined her passion for advocacy with her talent for using research and data to tell evidence-based narratives that demonstrate how current educational policies and practices affect the most vulnerable children. As an advocate, she helped educate parents who were often outnumbered and uninformed about district policies, their rights, and the rights of their children and attended school meetings related to discipline to support them in seeking solutions that were best for the student(s) vs. the school administrative adults involved. During her tenure with JKI, the organization unapologetically and persistently highlighted the disproportional effects that out-of-school suspensions were having on Black children starting as young as four years old. It was instrumental in passing a suspension law ban for all Pre-K through 2nd grade students in Nebraska. As an advocate, she helped educate parents who were often outnumbered and uninformed about district policies, their rights, and the rights of their children and attended school meetings related to discipline to support them in seeking solutions that were best for the student(s) vs. the school administrative adults involved.
Omaha Black History Book Review
By: A’Jamal Byndon
Native Omaha Days: Kimberly C. Barnes the President provides an overview and history of the group.
Kimberly C. Barnes provides an overview of the significance of Native Omaha Days. This interview focuses on African Americans from Omaha, their tradition of gathering every two years to celebrate old acquaintances, renew friendships, and develop social capital within the community. This interview discusses the inherent challenges African Americans face in discovering their Omaha roots and why it's essential to learn from the founders and elders of this incredible event.
Movement in Omaha Founders talk about racism in Omaha and the dysfunction of Gatekeeper and Clowns
This program is about calling out the system folks who have never busted a grape for dealing with racism in Omaha. Many of them have limited ability to challenge the system because they are on the payroll, and will stop the mean white girls' behavior within the toxic workplace. Meanwhile, the masses of oppressive folks are counting on the NEOC or City of Omaha Human Relations Department to help African Americans, and they won't have honest dialogues with Victims of American Democracy (Black Folks), as Malcolm X called this system.
“Comedy Meets Conscience: Lentle Makhwaje on Gender Equity - balances humor and activism powerfully.
In this bold and refreshingly honest conversation, Selalelo sits down with rising stand-up comedian and psychology student Lentle Makhwaje to unpack what it means to grow up as a young man in Botswana — a society where patriarchy still shapes every major decision. From gender equity to gender-based violence, Lentle uses both wit and insight to reflect on the silent pressures placed on men, the unchecked power they hold, and the urgent need for young Batswana to rethink masculinity. 📍 This interview is part of Selalelo’s national movement for social justice. In Botswana, we cannot blame racism for inequality — we must look within. And often, what we see is male-dominated systems that continue to silence, harm, and disadvantage women and girls. Selalelo is about changing the conversation — one voice at a time. Let’s talk. Let’s laugh. But let’s never ignore the truth. 👉 Subscribe and follow us as we build a gender-just Botswana. #Selalelo #GenderEquity #BotswanaVoices #LentleMakhwaje #EndGBV #SocialJustice #Masculinity #standupforchange
Dogs of an Empire
BOYS OF RESPECT SEMINAR SUMMARY
A Century of Contradiction: How America Aligned with White Power in South Africa
From the Boer War to Elon Musk, U.S. sympathy has consistently favored Afrikaner interests
over the Black majority.
Four Centuries of Theft and Unfinished Reckoning in South Africa
THE DOUBLE STANDARD OF JUSTICE
Trump and South Africa’s Land Reform.
THE CENTRAL AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE
The ongoing struggle for racial justice often seems like an exaggeration to those who remain ignorant of history.
THE SUM OF US.
BOOK DISCUSSION
The book The Sum of Us is a book that gives examples of racism being harmful to everyone, including white people. It helps dispel the false idea of the zero-sum paradigm that one person or group has to suffer for another to succeed. We will talk about the book's content and what we can do collectively and individually to help reverse the conditions in communities and institutions. Examples of false logic within the book help facilitate this robust discussion. We hope this will engender racial healing.
We ask that participants read the book and register with OPL and MOREomaha.org, a co-sponsor, or call our registration number 402-212-7083. We will offer light refreshments and opportunities for engagement. Amy and A'Jamal will provide an overview of the book's highlights from their perspective and then provide participants with ample time to discuss their reactions to the book and ideas shared during the session. Our goal is to build social capital around the themes of The Sum of Us. This book is available at the public library and the other book supply sources.
If participants have need for interpretation, and accessibility requests, or sign language let us know. We will be serving light refreshments.
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Date June 23rd
If you would like more information, please feel free to contact us at 402-212-7083
The Great Plains Black History Museum will host a monthly series!
Learning Community, 1612 North 24 th Street. It will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on various Saturdays of each month. The topics are listed below. The presentations are open to the community, agencies, African American families, and others interested in the various issues. The suggested age range is high school students and beyond. We aim to foster an appreciation for historical challenges and solutions in Nebraska, a society dealing with historical Black experiences.
Scholars discuss the racism and chaos mentality of the Trump Administration and white supremacy.
Dr. Patrick Velasquez and A'Jamal Byndon talk about the racism and dysfunctional aspect of the national government to destroy People of Color by enacting policies and cuts and creating the promulgation of Uncle Toms, collaborators, and sellouts in educational institutions and systems that are bent on supporting white privilege and white supremacy in local, state and federal government.
The Sum of Us Book Discussion at Washington Branch Library. Omaha Ne. is a book that gives examples of racism being harmful to everyone, including white people. It helps dispel the false idea of the zero-sum paradigm that one person or group has to suffer for another to succeed. Our goal is to build social capital around the themes of The Sum of Us. This book is available at the public library and the other book supply sources.
Reflections on Power, Racism, and Historical Parallels: Trump, Musk, and the Legacy of Apartheid
The White Man’s Dirty Fingerprints in CKGR.
Elon Musk’s Ancestors
Position Statement:
Support for Undocumented and Mixed Status Migrants and Families
MORE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MORE Research & Policy Report, 2024
THE STATUS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS OF COLOR AT OMAHA METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE: INDICATORS OF RACIAL EQUITY
Primary Author: Patrick Velasquez, Ph,D Chair, MORE Data/Research Committee
Contact: moreinfo@moreomaha.org
WHAT’S NEXT FOR MORE?
African American Legal Issues & Anti-racism in Nebraska ft. Attorney Potso Mahlangeni
This program is about racism in the legal community in Nebraska and the failure of the law schools to educate African Americans to use the legal system to their advantage. Since there are so few practicing African American lawyers in Nebraska. Participants asked questions during the session. We also cover the problem of the various institutions that do not provide justice to African Americans in this apartheid city and state, such as Nebraska ACLU, Legal Aid of Nebraska, and the so-called advocacy organization that does not file cases on behalf of the African American community. Many do not have board members of Color who have a track record of working in our communities.
MORE’s 2023 End-of-Year Wrap-Up!
MORE's End of Year Letter!
MORE's End of Year Letter!
Read what MORE was up to in 2023 and look forward to 2024!
Nebraska Examiner Articles on MORE
JOIN OUR TEXT GROUP!
Movement in Omaha for Racial Equity Research & Policy Report, September 2023
THE STATUS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS OF COLOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, OMAHA: INDICATORS OF RACIAL INEQUITY
Primary Author: Patrick Velasquez, Chair, MORE Data/Research Committee
Racism and Societal Collapse
Primary Author: Jack Dunn
MORE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
We are working on a report on the effectiveness of these civil rights organizations, such as the city’s Omaha Human Rights and Relations Department, in addressing their mission. It’s come to our attention that they have little to no empirical data on the success of addressing racism, and historical discrimination and, most of all, engaging communities of Color with the transformation of the problems into reasonable solutions. When a public fund organization does work have little or any social capital with oppressed African Americans and other People of Color, it is time to ask for change. What good are third-string quarterbacks who can’t play in the Superbowl of anti-racism? Can we point to one success story and whom they helped in the valley of the struggle that can offer testimonials to outcomes?
Got any questions regarding anti-racism, race equity, or community advocacy but have never seemed to be able to get any answers? Or incidents handled by Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission , Nebraska Urban League, or any government funded organizations. -
Text or Email A’Jamal at 402-212-7083 or email moreinfo@moreomaha.org
Mail + Donations via Check
For all mail, or donations via check please mail to:
608 N. Saddle Creek, #31542
Omaha, NE 68132
402-212-7083
EIN: 27-0666026
ices.
“It truly was an ‘a-ha’ moment of my personal view of white culture.”
— MORE workshop attendee