Nebraska's Racial Past and Present

Indigenous and Black populations have historically and disproportionately been held back by various institutions in Nebraska. It is essential to understand the history of racism in Nebraska, to contextualize race issues in the state today. In this episode, Margaret Huettl, an assistant professor of history and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln discusses the history of indigenous peoples in Nebraska. Jeanette Jones, also an assistant professor of history and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln talks about the Omaha race riot in 1919 and how it affects Nebraskans today.

Nebraska’s redlining practices from the 1900s are part of its racial history. Ed Zimmer, former Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department's historic preservation planner and Lori Seibel, President and CEO of the Community Health Endowment of Lincoln discuss the racial redlining practices in Lincoln and how it affects the Lincoln community today.

Racism did not end with the Civil Rights act of 1964. From microaggressions to acts of violence, examples of racism are still prominent today. The death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the beginning of this year sparked a wave of protests across the United States throughout the summer and the Black Lives Matter organization gained a lot of attention and momentum. Temi Onayemi, a UNL graduate and Black Lives Matter protest organizer, and Marcey Yates the founder of Culxr House discuss racism in Nebraska and their involvement in the movement.