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Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Vol. 82 - No. 3 Omaha, Nebraska
Friday, February 7, 2020
Let’s vote in record numbers on May 12.
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Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders: The 100 Black Men of Omaha Celebrates 25 Years Frank Hayes never had any intention of going back to Mississippi. He grew up in the county seat of Simpson County – Mendenhall, a small farming town outside of Jackson. As a young, African American man, he knew early on that there was nothing for him in his hometown. He also knew he wasn’t alone. “I just felt like it wasn’t a good place for me, or for African Americans in general,” he said. He made his way to Omaha, co-founded Hayes & Associates, a successful accounting practice, and made inroads in the Omaha business community. It was through his networking efforts that he met Leroy Walker – another successful businessman and owner of multiple local McDonald’s franchises. Leroy became Frank’s client. Frank would stop by Leroy’s franchise at 114th and Dodge in the morning for breakfast and conversation. The two became friends. Leroy cared deeply about the plight of young African American men, many of them struggling for connection and in need of guidance. It was a passion the two men shared, and when Leroy made plans to move to Jackson, Mississippi, Frank encouraged him to stay in Omaha. The way he saw it, nothing good could come from a move to Mississippi. Leroy didn’t stay. In Jackson, he continued his successful business career and became the president of 100 Black Men of Jackson, Inc., a local chapter of the longstanding national organization dedicated to educating and empowering African American children and teens. He invited Frank down to sit in on a meeting. “At the time, I knew nothing about 100 Black Men. I went to the meeting, and I was so inspired to be back home and see what they were doing with the youth there in Jackson. Many of the young men were present at the meeting,” said Hayes. In the meeting, he learned that Leroy had recently acquired a piece of land where he planned to build a rec center. “Two things hit me,” said Hayes.
“The absolute commitment of these men to the mission of the organization, and the response of the youth to those men.” Seeing the need for this type of mentorship in Omaha, Hayes knew what he wanted to do, and whom he wanted to have by his side. He enlisted Omaha business consultant Fred Conley, financial industry leader Kevin Clingman, and criminal justice expert KB Turner, and they got to work. “We decided we were going to make this an important thing. We really felt like it would have a big impact in Omaha,” Conley said First, they invited Leroy up to Omaha to talk about his involvement with 100 Black Men, both in Jackson and at the national level. The talk drew about 70 local men, and that night, they got commitments from at least 40 of them. After that first meeting, two major events of 1995 propelled the group to a new level of awareness. Nationally, it was the year of the Million Man March in Washington, D.C., led by Louis Farrakhan. “That helped create some buzz,” said Frank. “It was all about black men uniting, and people started wondering what we were about.” Locally, then vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp came to Omaha to speak on behalf of 100 Black Men Omaha. The sold-out fundraiser established the organization within the local business community. Following those events, Frank, Fred, Kevin and KB initiated a partnership with the late Mary Dean Harvey, who at the time was the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club, and held a press conference. “That press conference set a fairly high bar for us, and we had to follow through on that,” said Conley. “In the first four years, I worked more on the 100 than I did on my business.” In the coming years, 100 Black Men of Omaha attracted members with a wide variety of professions and backgrounds, from attorneys and business owners to educators and trade workers, each one serving as a mentor and role model for
Potential Family Dollar Liquor License Brings Community Ire, Gets City Council Disapproval By Chris Bowling The overcast February day melted into cold night as hours passed inside the Omaha City Council’s Tuesday meeting. Some of the community members in attendance shift in their seats, others prop their elbows to hold their heads up, but all take notice when Cindy Gains grips the podium. As the mother of three and lifelong North Omaha resident stares down the City Council, she makes clear how she feels about the possibility of a new alcohol distributor in her community. “Vote no,” said the lifelong North Omaha resident. “You understand? No. Otherwise I’ll be down here every single day.” After hearing more than an hour of charged public opposition, the Omaha City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 4 not to recommend a proposed liquor license at a North Omaha Family Dollar. Council members expressed both legal opposition and moral disdain with the proposed location of the Class B license, which would allow for sale of six-packs and cases of beer. “When you see the neighborhood rise up to shield itself, and all the efforts they’re taking after decades and decades of decay, they’re just now rising from the ashes,” Council Member and President Chris Jerram said. “I don’t see what [Family Dollar] is proposing at this time, it doesn’t fit in.” The Family Dollar is across the street from Blackburn High School and down the block from Kellom Elementary as well as in the vicinSee City Council continued on page 9
Sorry, due to technical issues In the Village does not appear in this issue.
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young African American men in Omaha. Since 2008, 100 percent of high school seniors engaged with the program have graduated and 93 percent have enrolled or planned to enroll in post-secondary education or military service. “Here is exactly what these young men need to see,” said Hayes. “Regardless of your home situation, if you can see someone who looks like you doing any number of things, that means nothing is impossible.” One of those leaders is Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing, Jr. Ewing served as the organization’s president and is now president of its advisory council. His background in law enforcement gave him a unique window into the problems young black men in our area face, and he knew more had to be done. “I knew there had to be some other things in place for young people to be able to be more successful and not turn to a life of crime or juvenile delinquency,” he said. “I became involved with the 100 Black Men because it was one of the groups I believed had an answer.” Ewing heard a lot of talk about investing in area youth, but not a lot of action. He saw real potential in his friend Richard Webb, once a 100 Black Men mentee and now a rising leader in the Omaha business community. Richard joined the board, made waves, and in 2017, he became the Chief Executive Officer. Sitting at the helm of 100 Black Men of Omaha in its 25th year gives Webb the chance to see how
far the organization has come, what sets it apart, and the ground that’s still left to cover. “The biggest thing for me is that we put positive African American males around our youth,” said Webb. “One of my mentees I’ve had for 7 years – he wrote me and said, ‘The reason why I love my mentor so much is that he doesn’t treat me as a little kid. He treats me as a young man.’ Our goal is to inspire these young men to be respectful, responsible and ready to lead.” This inspiration is offered not only through mentorship, but also through programs that promote education, career exploration and goal setting, trips to participate in the organization’s African American History Challenge, and more. Going forward, Webb is focused on improvement and growth – he’s already gained attention on the national level and grown membership from 28 members in 2017 to 73 current members (138 including all mentors). He also wants to address the climate that Omaha’s African American youth live in today. At present, only 12.3 percent of Omaha’s population is African American. Of that relatively small group, 87 percent of African American young professionals say they would prefer to live outside of Omaha. “I believe we can inspire these future leaders to stay and contribute to the growth and success of our city,” said Webb. “On top of that, a more diverse talent pool will help
Omaha attract new business and increase economic growth.” As for the future of his organization, Webb wants to see the members’ hard work come full circle. “My ultimate goal is, in 15 or 20 years, to run into some of these young men and have them say, ‘Because the 100 Black Men of Omaha was there, because of those small seeds that were planted, this is what has grown from it.’” “You realize what you’re doing right now is passion-driven. Every day we get up and we do what we do to make sure our youth are respectful, responsible and ready to lead. Seeing that impact in the future is going to be a magical moment.”
Celebrating 25 Years of Impact On Feb. 14, the 100 Black Men of Omaha chapter will celebrate its 25th Anniversary. The organization will host a series of events commemorating its history, including Barbershop Chat Tours and its annual Men of Honor Gala on April 17. Lance Fritz, CEO of Union Pacific Railroad, leads this year’s Gala as the Honorary Chair. The event will also feature the Chairman of the National 100 Black Men of America’s Board, Thomas. W. Dortch, as the keynote speaker. For more information on how you can contribute your time or resources to the 100 Black Men of Omaha, visit 100blackmenomaha. org or phone 402-934-7065.
UNMC to Host Black History Month Events February marks Black History Month, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center has a number of events planned to celebrate and educate others about African-American culture. On Feb. 13, Dominique Morgan, an Omaha native and the national director of Black and Pink, the largest prison abolitionist organization in the United States, will be on campus to present his talk on “The Impact of Health Professionals in a Community in Crisis.” Morgan is the recipient of the “Young, Black and Influential” Award for Advocacy, Omaha Chamber Young Professionals ChangeMaker Award, and the NAACP Freedom Fighter Award. Morgan’s presentation will be held from noon-1 p.m. in the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education at UNMC. This event is sponsored by the UNMC Department of Human Resources, UNMC College of Medicine, UNMC
College of Nursing, GRADS (Graduates & Professionals Representing Achievement Diversity and Service) and the Nebraska Medicine Department of Human Resources. On Feb. 20, Anthony Johnson Jr., a graduate student in the UNMC College of Public Health, will facilitate a panel presentation on the intersection of environmental justice, racial equity and the health of underserved populations. The presentation is from noon-1 Dominique Morgan p.m. in the Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health at UNMC. Joining Johnson on the panel will be Earl Redrick, field office director, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Naudia McCracken, acting lead program supervisor, Douglas County Health Department; and Jessica Ehule, senior public health project coordinator at CityMatCH. Anthony Johnson Jr.
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