History of African Americans in Omaha in the 19th century

[2] The presence of several black people, probably slaves, was recorded in the area comprising North Omaha today when Major Stephen H. Long's expedition arrived at Fort Lisa in September 1819.

One report says, "Henry Daniel Smith, born in Maryland in 1835, still living in Omaha in 1913 and working at his trade of broom-maker, was one escaped slave who entered Nebraska via the Underground Railroad.

"[6] By 1867 enough blacks gathered in community to found St. John's African Methodist Episcopal Church in the Near North Side neighborhood.

[8] The Old Trinity Mission worked under the direction of Dean Millspaugh starting in late 1879, meeting in the old Cossens House and in 1881, Rev.

[9] St. Philip's was announced to be formed out of a chapel of the old Trinity Cathedral in April, 1882, and to eventually exist as a separate structure.

[12] In 1879, John Lewis organized a brass band initially consisting of eleven members and instructed by professor Toozer.

[17] In January, 1876, Edwin R. Overall, William R. Gamble, and Rev W. H. Wilson organized a State Convention of Colored men.

Overall, Dr. W. H. C. Stephenson, Wilson, and Gamble were selected as delegates, with Curry, John Lewis, Calvin Montgomery, and P. Hampton as alternates.

[18] However, in February of that year, Curry attacked Edward Rosewater, then editor of the Omaha Bee for calling his saloon a "den".

[19] Curry was imprisoned for the assault and his public career came to an end[20] Democrat Cyrus D. Bell, an ex-slave, was proposed for city, county, legislative, or state office by the Anti-Republican Omaha Herald in 1878, although this proposal was meant to show that Republicans in the city had poor commitment to black rights in Omaha, the Democratic paper, Omaha Herald commenting that "hundreds of colored men are constantly disfranchised from holding office by the Republican party whilst casting a solid vote and giving power to that party.".

[30] That year, both Overall and Stephenson sought nomination for candidate for State Legislature but their contesting efforts divided the community and they were denied by the Republican Party.

[32] In late October, 1882, Stephenson was endorsed by a convention of Omaha blacks to be nominated as a republican candidate for the legislature, Overall possibly declined to be considered.

W. W. H. Wilson[35] W. G. Robinson (Nebraska City), Major Moore (Lincoln), and W. R. Gamble (Omaha) were elected as delegates to the National Convention of Colored Men, at Louisville, Ky., September 24, 1883,"[36] In the 1880s, Overall became active in organized labor.

In 1890, Overall finally gained the Republican nomination for the state legislature and received the endorsement of the labor party,[38] but he lost the election.

While Adams supported Overall, Matthew O. Ricketts, Walker, and Bell loudly opposed Overall's domination of the writing of the constitution.

Ricketts initially opposed the idea that whites could be allowed in the league, fearing they could dominate it, but Walker supported that clause convincingly.

At the meeting, Ricketts gave a noted speech, saying: "The use of which has been made of the Afro-American voter by all political parties has been proverbial.

The motion was especially disliked by delegates who did not live in Omaha[46] Violence against blacks was a great cause for concern in the community and was a frequent topic at meetings and from the pulpit.

Local leaders James Alexander, Rickets, Richard Gamble, and Bell were outspoken in condemnation of the lynching in Omaha and Payne's safety was assured.

In that role, Williams frequently sought to calm Omaha's black community in the face of racial tensions, such as during the Spring Valley, Illinois black-Italian labor war in August 1895.

Another division in the community occurred in 1895, when G. F. Franklin was appointed Inspector of Weights and Measures with the support of the Thomas and Ella Mahammitt and against the protest of Bell.

The focus of the convention was the education of black children and the group named themselves the National Federation of Afro-American Women.

In 1896 was a committee member of the successor organization, the National Association of Colored Women under president Mary Church Terrell.

Other female African American leaders in Omaha included Ophelia Clenlans, Nettie Johnson, Laura Craig, Clara Franklin, Lucy Gamble, and Comfort Baker.

J. C. C. Owens, M. O. Ricketts, T. P. Mahammitt, Franklin, George E. Collins, John Wright, J. W. Long all played key roles in organizing the initial efforts.

A the meeting of the Western Negro Press Association, John Albert Williams was selected first vice president and Bell was selected treasurer[58] The relationship between erstwhile political allies G. F. Franklin, F. L. Barnett, M. F. Singleton, and M. O. Ricketts fractured in the buildup to the expositions over the lack of inclusion of blacks in the city's organizational ranks.

[59] In The Sentinel, Cyrus D. Bell, Omaha's pre-eminent black Democrat, felt that Ricketts' greed for power was at the root of the problem and was critical of Franklin as well[60]