North Omaha tour shows participants a rich history

UNMC and Nebraska Medicine colleagues and students wrapped up Black History Month with a historical tour of North Omaha.

On Feb. 25, participants joined for a bus tour celebrating the history of North Omaha. Provided by the Institute for Urban Development, the tour was guided by Preston Love Jr., author, Black history professor and founder of the Institute for Urban Development.

North Omaha has a rich cultural, historical and architectural legacy, with revitalization efforts happening throughout the community. Focused on the 24^th and 30^th Street corridors, the tour opened with orientation at Fabric Lab, a Black-led urban design lab. Stops included the first female African American owned newspaper, The Omaha Star, and the Dreamland Ballroom. The ballroom was the premier spot to host American Jazz legends, including Love’s father, Preston Love Sr.

Highlights of the tour included a group picture in front of “The Ancestor, the Identity, and the Seed” mural by artist Reggie Le Flore, a visit with local business owners Yvonne and Don McPherson at Styles of Evolution and an introduction to Schmeeka Simpson, tour director at the Malcolm X Foundation.

Said Love, “You can tell what is in the heart of a community when you look and see what is painted on the walls.”

Thanks to the Malcolm X Foundation, Malcolm X has been inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame, and the foundation has plans to develop 18.2 acres for neighborhood housing, food sustainability educational opportunities and community entertainment.

The bus tour also focused on the community gardens and murals that display community resilience and innovation, as well as the visible economic devastation the area still grapples with today.

North Omaha is considered a food desert and in need of affordable and sustainable housing solutions, but efforts are being made to change that.

Love believes the most important focus is on what he calls “a new chapter.”

Places such as the Fabric Lab, which is partnering with No More Empty Pots, are helping to bring fresh food to the community. New projects including the 24^th and Lake Street mixed-use redevelopment by North End Teleservices are slated to bring affordable housing, restaurants, additional retail and investment to the area. 

“Wonderful things are happening,” Love said.