University of Nebraska at Omaha DigitalCommons@UNO Student Work 12-1-2002 Fighting Jim Crow in post-World War II Omaha 1945-1956 Kathleen Mary Davis University of Nebraska at Omaha Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork Recommended Citation Davis, Kathleen Mary, "Fighting Jim Crow in post-World War II Omaha 1945-1956" (2002). Student Work. 570. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/570 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Work by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FIGHTING JIM CROW IN POST-WORLD WAR II OMAHA 1945-1956 A Thesis Presented to the Department of History and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts University of Nebraska at Omaha By Kathleen M. 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Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 FIGHTING JIM CROW IN POST-WORLD WAR II OMAHA 1945-1956 Accepted for the faculty of the Graduate College, University of Nebraska, in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree Master of Arts, University of Nebraska at Omaha Committee Chairperson Date 1* FIGHTING JIM CROW IN POST-WORLD WAR II OMAHA 1945-1956 Kathleen M. Davis University of Nebraska, 2002 Advisor: Dr. William C. Pratt Blacks in Omaha developed new approaches to fight Jim Crow practices in the post-World War II era. As a result, substantial gains were made in the areas of public accommodations, employment, residential segregation and education. The Omaha Star, a black newspaper, was instrumental in reporting civil rights abuses to its readers, while constantly urging them to unite and fight for their rights. Civil rights organizations played a crucial role in these efforts. The NAACP chapter was established as early as 1918, but after an initial burst it was relatively ineffective until the 1950s. The local Urban League, however, which dated to 1928, adapted more readily to the changing post-World War II environment. Realizing the need to shift from its earlier emphasis on self-help and recreation, it began to address problems such as employment, housing, and race relations. In 1950, Whitney Young became its executive secretary and played a major role in the fight against racial discrimination over the next several years. Another important organization in this struggle was the Omaha De Porres Club. It was organized in 1947 on the Creighton University campus under the direction of a priest, Father John Markoe, and a student, Denny Holland. The Club was instrumental in opening many doors for black Omahans, particularly in the area of employment. Working closely with the Urban League, its non-violent and direct confrontational tactics such as sit-ins, picketing, and boycotts made a significant contribution to the local civil rights movement. In 1956, a special election was held to choose the members of a Charter Convention that would draw up a new city Charter, which was became effective on May 27, 1957. It included a civil rights clause, a provision for fair employment, and the establishment of a Human Relations Board. Although there was much more to be done, the 1945-1956 era was marked by a number of important achievements in the realm of race relations in Omaha, some of which occurred years ahead of many other cities. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i ILLUSTRATION Map of Near North Side: Omaha, Nebraska ii CHAPTER 1 Introduction: Jim Crow Omaha 1 CHAPTER 2 Postwar Omaha, 1945-1947 50 CHAPTER 3 A New Kind of Warfare, 1948-1950 88 CHAPTER 4 Louder Voices, 1950-1953 138 CHAPTERS Doors Are Opened, 1953-1956 186 CONCLUSION 244 APPENDICES 251 BIBLIOGRAPHY 257 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Although my name alone stands behind this thesis, it would not have been possible without the help of many people to whom I am deeply indebted: — Dr. William C. Pratt, my advisor and long time instructor, who guided me through the process from beginning to end. Thank you for your encouragement, time, support, and supervision. — Dr. Harl A. Dalstrom and Dr. Andrew P. Smallwood, who served on the committee with Dr. Pratt, and also critiqued what seemed to be a never-ending number of drafts. Thank you for your invaluable suggestions and corrections. -- The Nebraska State Historical Society, the Douglas County Historical Society, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha Archives Department. — My husband and “technical assistant” Terry, who was always there to help me with the more than usual computer problems I often have, and for the many fast food dinners you graciously ate. — My son Ryan, who is also more computer literate than I will ever be. Thanks for the map. — My daughter Allie, for the shopping trip breaks. — Finally, my cat Max, a furry friend who kept me company, kept my feet warm, and made a great paperweight. Near North Side. U%2&2k circa 1940-50 Fort Omaha North High School Urban League Office s 24th & Lake J Hamilton Street Creighton University Dotted line depicts approximate boundaries of Near Northside, 1940- 1950. Source: Adapted from Dennis N. Mihelich, “World War II and the Transformation of the Omaha Urban League.” Nebraska History 60 (fall 1979), 405. 1 CHAPTER 1 Introduction: Jim Crow Omaha World War II has immeasurably magnified the Negroes’ awareness of the disparity between the American profession and practice of democracy. The majority will return home convinced that whatever betterment of their lot is achieved must come largely through their own efforts. Walter White, Executive Secretary of the NAACP.1 In 1945, over one million black American soldiers returned home after World War II, only to continue the fight against oppression and racist ideologies. This time, however, the battles they fought were in their own backyards, and, eventually, with a new type of ammunition. Still treated as second-class citizens, blacks and their white allies confronted the bigotry that denied them fair employment, adequate housing, education, the use of certain public facilities and, in some parts of the country, the right to vote. While racial discrimination was not practiced as openly in the northern states as it was in the South, the attempt to keep blacks “in their place” was evident. The fight for racial equality in Omaha, Nebraska, during the post-World War II years is of particular interest. The chipping away of its Jim Crow practices toward the end of the 1940s was the result of nonviolent protests that would be used with much more dramatic success in the 1960s. Furthermore, the conditions under which blacks lived exemplify not only a caste repression, but also the indifference of the legal system, which should have protected their rights. Why, though, did it take almost ten years for mass protests, such as the December 1955 Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott to materialize? As the United States entered 2 into the Cold War, black organizations that challenged racism were often viewed as subversive. According to Manning Marable in his book, Race, Reform and Rebellion: The Second Reconstruction in Black America, 1945-1990: “The paranoid mood of anti­ communist America made it difficult for any other reasonable reform movement to exist.”2 This study will examine racial discrimination in Omaha and the response to it, from the end of World War II in 1945 to 1956, when a new city charter with a civil rights provision was adopted. Much of the information is drawn from theOmaha Star, a black newspaper that focused on the unjust treatment blacks received nationally, as well as locally. Described by Dennis G. Paz as having “a long term commitment to work and religious uplift,” it pledged that it “shall, for the life of its existence, be a militant organ, 3 the true voice of the people.” Beginning with its first edition in 1938, the Star offered hope and encouragement in what were often frustrating and discouraging situations. Moreover, it not only reported events that the daily newspaper, theOmaha World-Herald, omitted, but it also provided a different perspective on the slanted news coverage of racial stories. Its motto, “For The Service of the People That No Good Cause Shall Lack a Champion, and That Evil Shall 4 Not Thrive Unopposed,” stretched across the top of the front page of every edition. Although Omaha had two other black newspapers, the Monitor and the Guide, this study will focus primarily on the Star. This paper was the voice of an isolated community that otherwise went unheard and, in many ways, unacknowledged. 3 Omaha was a conservative city that supported segregation in a covert fashion. In some instances, this made it even more difficult for black residents. While southern blacks had separate drinking, eating and restroom facilities required by law, those who ventured outside of their neighborhood in Omaha were always uncertain as to which public facilities they would be allowed to use. Still, it was difficult to challenge this type of discrimination because the individuals who imposed it often provided “legal” excuses for their actions.