the complexity of population , rapid rate of change has caused social tensions erupt periodically in violence. racial tension has marked omaha since 1880s. in 1890 several hundred white people dragged black worker named joe coe jail cell after accused of abducting five-year-old white child. killed before lynched in downtown area. in 1905 more 800 students schools in south omaha protested presence of japanese students @ school refusing attend , locking adults out of school buildings. protest because japanese students children of strikebreakers brought in stockyards previous year.
in february 1909 greek immigrant arrested loitering after being accused of having sex white woman. during arrest, irish police officer shot. accused man captured, , shortly thereafter mob of 3,000 men , boys gathered outside south omaha jail being held. police distracted crowd while prisoner moved omaha city jail. after discovering this, mob attacked greektown, local ethnic enclave. forced greek residents abandon area, destroyed businesses, , demolished 30 buildings.
while incidents of racial tension in omaha have been reported through history, worst omaha race riot of 1919. followed red summer, when other major industrial cities such chicago inflamed severe race riots, arising social, job , housing tensions after world war i. in omaha african-american laborer named brown lynched, city s mayor lynched, , 4 other people murdered. although u.s. army arrived restore order, many observers believed torrential rains contributed more dampening emotions , sparing city more damage. feared related rioting might occur in other midwestern united states, particularly in chicago; none did.
local civil rights campaigns started in 1940s, along organizing laborers in meatpacking industry. african americans gained progress, restructuring of railroads , meatpacking industry cost omaha tens of thousands of jobs in mid-century, slowing economy drastically. poverty , related problems became more endemic in north omaha. in mid-to late-1960s, in other once powerful industrial cities had neglected long-identified problems, riots erupted in african-american community.
on july 4, 1966 crowd of african americans gathered @ intersection of north 24th , lake streets refused disband , reacted violently against local police. 3 days of rioting ensued, causing millions of dollars of damage north 24th street corridor. month later, on august 1, 1966, riots erupted again after 19-year-old shot off-duty white policeman during burglary. 3 buildings firebombed, , 180 riot police required quell crowds.
two years later, on march 4, 1968, crowd of high school , university students gathered @ omaha civic auditorium protest presidential campaign of george wallace, segregationist governor of alabama. after counter-protesters began attacking youth activists, police brutality led injury of dozens of protesters. african-american youth shot , killed police officer during ruckus. fleeing students attacked property , caused thousands of dollars of damage businesses , cars. following day local barber named ernie chambers helped calm disturbance , prevent riot students @ horace mann junior high school. chambers recognized community leader. after finishing law degree, chambers elected nebraska state legislature, , served total of 38 years, longer of predecessors.
the last major riot occurred on june 24, 1969 when young african americans in north omaha rioted in protest after killing of african-american teenager named vivian strong, shot police officers in incident @ logan fontenelle housing projects. african americans looted along north 24th street business corridor. during initial surge, 8 businesses destroyed firebombing or looting. events went on several more days.
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