Omaha has staggering poverty, particularly among African Americans, that is disproportionate to its total population. This from a city that has prided itself for forward-development for more than 20 years. The following statistics— which are the most recent as of 2008— speak for themselves.

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History

• The first known Black person to visit the area that became Omaha was an enslaved person called York who owned by William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1804-06.
• Free Black pioneers lived in Omaha starting in 1854.
• Enslaved Black residents lived in Omaha starting in 1854 and lasting through 1861, when the Nebraska Territory made enslavement illegal.
• Dozens of Black politicians have been elected and appointed to local, state and federal government positions since the 1870s.
• The first Civil Rights activism in Omaha started in 1872 to desegregate the Omaha School District.
• Omaha has had Black police since 1881.
• More than a dozen African American politicians have been elected to the Nebraska Legislature since 1892.
• Omaha has had Black firefighters since at least 1895.

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Population

• There were 390,007 total residents in Omaha in 2000.
• Omaha is the 42nd largest city in the US.
• In 2000 Omaha had 51,910 African American residents; in 2005 there were 49,912
• African American comprised 13% of Omaha’s total population in 2000.

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Money

• There are 5 Fortune 500 companies in Omaha today.
• In 2008 there are 2,688 minority-owned businesses in the five-county Omaha metropolitan statistical area.
• 50% of all minority-owned businesses in Omaha are owned by blacks.
• In 2004 the median income of a family in Omaha was $44,636
• That same year the median income of an African American family in Omaha was $25,280.
• The overall unemployment rate in Omaha is 3.6%.
• The black unemployment rate in Omaha is 17%.
• White people make up 89.3% of the workforce in Omaha; blacks make up 5.5%.
• The white unemployment rate in Omaha is 3.1%; the black unemployment rate is 10.5%.
• Omaha ranks 8th in the nation for black African American unemployment.
• Omaha ranks 1st among American cities for the total number of African Americans who qualify as low-income.
• Only 1 other city in the US has greater disparities between the wealth of blacks and whites.
• 6.7% of families in Omaha living below poverty line.
• 1 out of 3 of African American families in Omaha live in poverty.
• 6 out of 10 black children in Omaha live in poverty.
• Omaha ranks number 1 among American cities for its total percentage of impoverished black children.

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Segregation

• 35% of African American students in Omaha do not graduate from high school.
• Omaha ranks 40th among cities across the US for racial segregation.
• African Americans comprise 4% of Nebraska’s population.
• Nebraska’s prisons have a 25% African American population.

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Map

This is a map of the racial divide in Omaha, with the image made by Dustin Cable. White: blue dots; African American: green dots; Asian: red; Latino: orange; all others: brown. Note that the community I grew up in and focus on in this blog is in the upper right hand corner of this image.

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You Might Like…

MY ARTICLES ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS IN OMAHA
General: History of Racism | Timeline of Racism
Events: Juneteenth | Malcolm X Day | Congress of White and Colored Americans | George Smith Lynching | Will Brown Lynching | North Omaha Riots | Vivian Strong Murder | Jack Johnson Riot | Omaha Bus Boycott (1952-1954)
Issues: African American Firsts in Omaha | Police Brutality | North Omaha African American Legislators | North Omaha Community Leaders | Segregated Schools | Segregated Hospitals | Segregated Hotels | Segregated Sports | Segregated Businesses | Segregated Churches | Redlining | African American Police | African American Firefighters | Lead Poisoning
People: Rev. Dr. John Albert Williams | Edwin Overall | Harrison J. Pinkett | Vic Walker | Joseph Carr | Rev. Russel Taylor | Dr. Craig Morris | Mildred Brown | Dr. John Singleton | Ernie Chambers | Malcolm X | Dr. Wesley Jones | S. E. Gilbert | Fred Conley |
Organizations: Omaha Colored Commercial Club | Omaha NAACP | Omaha Urban League | 4CL (Citizens Coordinating Committee for Civil Rights) | DePorres Club | Omaha Black Panthers | City Interracial Committee | Providence Hospital | American Legion | Elks Club | Prince Hall Masons | BANTU | Tomorrow’s World Club |
Related: Black History | African American Firsts | A Time for Burning | Omaha KKK | Committee of 5,000

Sources

• Cordes, H.J., Gonzalez, C. and Grace, E. “Omaha in Black and White: Poverty amid prosperity,” ”Omaha World-Herald”. April 15, 2007. Retrieved 8/21/08.
• Kotock, C.D. (2007) “Big plans in store for north Omaha“, ”Omaha World-Herald”, October 3, 2007. Retrieved 10/4/07.
• (2007) Multiethnic Guide. Greater Omaha Economic Partnership. Retrieved 10/28/07.
• Awodele, F. “The Omaha African-American Family in 2007,” NigeriaWorld. Retrieved 8/21/08.
• (2006) Best places to live: Omaha. CNN Money magazine.
• Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. (2006) Indicators for the Greater Omaha Minority Community. Retrieved 11/6/08.
• Vanhemer, K. (8/26/2013) “The Best Map Ever Made of America’s Racial Segregation,” on Wired magazine website.