75 CENTS
OMAHA STAR
THE
Proudly Serving Our Community for Over 80 Years Dedicated to the Service of the People that NO Good Cause Shall Lack a Champion and that Evil Shall Not Go Unopposed
Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Vol. 82 - No. 21 Omaha, Nebraska
Friday, October 16, 2020
75 cents
Robert “Bob” Gibson
Family of the Week:
A quiet man that was athletic and a star. Born the youngest of seven children in Omaha, Neb., on Nov. 9, 1935, and named after his father, who died shortly after his birth, Gibson suffered from rickets, asthma and a heart murmur as a child and needed permission from a doctor to compete in sports. That didn’t stop him from becoming a baseball and basketball star at Creighton University, where he was the school’s first African American athlete in either sport. How good was Gibson on the hardwood? In 1957, even after signing with the Cardinals to play baseball, he suited up for the splashy, flashy Harlem Globetrotters, a marriage that certainly doesn’t jibe with Gibson’s no-fun, no-frills approach to pitching. But yes, he was quite good, which is why, as the story goes, the Cardinals had to give him an additional $4,000 to persuade him to give up basketball entirely. How good was Gibson on the hardwood? In 1957, even after signing with the Cardinals to play baseball, he suited up for the splashy, flashy Harlem
Johnny and Tierra Forever A love story contributed by LaQuinte Campbell
With all that is happening in the world around us, it is refreshing to see two amazing people in our city come together in love. Congratulations are in order for Johnny Nesbit and Tierra O’Neal as we join them in celebrating their engagement which took place on Saturday, September 27th, 2020. Johnny, who is the President of the Urban League of Nebraska Young Professionals popped the question in a classic display of thoughtful romance at the venue that houses Tierra’s plus size boutique, I AM CURVY RED. Leading her down a path of perfectly placed candles and rose petals, Johnny got down on one knee, and in his proposal affirmed his love and commitment to their future which Tierra excitedly accepted. Tierra and Johnny first met in 2008 at a barbeque where he was admittedly captivated by her beauty. Although, the sparks were there after the first introduction, it was years later at an event hosted by the Omaha Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. of which Johnny is an active member, where their true friendship began. In 2019, the couple made it official and began growing from friends to falling madly in love with one another. Through their work with the Urban League Young Professionals, the two have served the city of Omaha engaging in everything from advocacy to community clean ups, supply drives during the pandemic, supporting education initiatives, and more. Johnny’s passion for serving his community and family is what Tierra loves most about him. In her words, “Johnny is quiet, yet powerful. He consistently affirms me in every way. He is driven and focused on building a legacy for our family”. In Johnny’s words, “I love how Tierra’s inner beauty transcends her outer beauty exponentially. She has a huge heart and I love her passion for making everyone in her life feel loved and inspired”. When the two were asked what they looked forward to most about marriage their separate responses were almost verbatim. They both look forward to building a family in the community they both love with God as their foundation and their guide. Johnny and Tierra’s story is a true testament to the power of both friendship and love. At times, we may all feel the weight of the world and all of the stress and trauma therein, but if we are so fortunate, we find our partner; our better half to support us, build with us, and we are able to thrive, grow, and celebrate all that we become along the way. Love is a beautiful thing, and we wish Johnny and Tierra a lifetime of happiness, growth, and true love forever. Johnny and Tierra will be married in the fall of 2021 in the presence of their faith, and 200 of their closest friends and family members. Congratulations to both the O’Neal and Nesbit families!
Globetrotters, a marriage that certainly doesn’t jibe with Gibson’s no-fun, no-frills approach to pitching. But yes, he was quite good, which is why, as the story goes, the Cardinals had to give him an additional $4,000 to persuade him to give up basketball entirely. Gibson played his earliest professional games in the southern United States at a time when it could not have been easy for a Black man. He endured those ugly experiences, as well as the difficulty of an initial exposure to the big leagues in 1959 and ’60 in which his stuff simply didn’t play up as well as it eventually would. On the mound, Gibson had some wildness that had to be corralled. Off it, he dealt with racial prejudices that affected his role. But by 1962, he began to assert himself as a star on a Cards
club that had begun working to ease racial tensions. Bob Gibson was a Baseball Hall of Famer. Omaha Trivia Note: Time Out Foods was started by Bob Gibson (baseball) and Bob Boozer (basketball: (April 26, 1937 – May 19, 2012)), thus the reference of time out from the sports world. Now you know where the BIG BOB Burger comes from…RIP Robert Bob Gibson, an Omaha Native.
From the iPublisher’s Pen By Terri D. Sanders Census 2020 is VERY important to our community. The Supreme Court handed down a brief, unsigned order on October 13, 2020, that is likely to shut down the 2020 census count. Only Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented publicly from the Court’s order in Ross v. National Urban League, although it is possible that as many as two other justices dissented without making that dissent public. The case involves a late effort by political appointees to shut down the census count earlier than professionals within the Census Bureau determined that that count can be completed during a pandemic. The practical impact of the Court’s decision is that marginalized groups — including people of color, low-income individuals, and those who live on tribal lands — are especially likely to go uncounted. As Sotomayor explains in her dissenting opinion, the census count was originally supposed to end on July 31, but the Census Bureau decided to extend that date until October 31 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Over a ten-year period (until the next census in 2030) each person registered is valued at $20,000/ person. If you responded to the census, you helped your community gets its fair share of the more than $675 billion per year in federal funds spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs. Businesses use census data to decide where to build factories, offices and stores, and this creates jobs. Census results influence highway planning and construction, as well as grants for buses, subways, and other public transit systems. Or think of your local schools: Census results help determine how money is allocated for the Head Start program and for grants that support teachers and special education. Over the next ten years your answers will affect funding in the community. The recent move by the Supreme Court has put communities of color and marginalized communities at risk to not receive a “fair” share of federal monies for said communities. See why who sits on
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the Supreme Court as a Justice is so important. The decisions made here have life altering effects on our lives. (#IJS) COVID-19 has put an end to many events. There will not be another Presidential debate, locally many buildings are closed, David Turnbo Photography programming for organizations have grinded to nothing, and there seems to be no end in sight. We are still being asked to wear masks for our own safety and the safety of others. Washing your hands? That is a no brainer and we should all have been doing that routinely. In spite of all this people are working, lovers get engaged (congratulations to the couple who are our Family of the Week), weddings are being celebrated, and babies are born. While all of these are joyous occasions there are persons who are suffering from lack of housing, food, and employment. Not everyone is going to bed on a full stomach. We must be mindful that everyone has various circumstances that they must negotiate day to day. Compassion is essential. Vote, Vote, Vote! Need I say more? Your life depends on it. Vote by mail or go to the polls on November 3, 2020. You do have a voice, make a plan and vote. I cannot tell you who to vote for but, I can tell you to do your civic duty and VOTE… Looking for a brain challenge? Check out the word search on Our Community page. The subject used was our very own Mildred D. Brown. Mrs. Brown was a community leader who was respected and gave respect. She was tough but kind and she was fair. She helped people get jobs, she helped businesses go forward, and she worked from North to South and even in Council Bluffs. As I look at the archives of the Omaha Star the documents show what has been done since 1938 and we are here for the 2.0 version.
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