Black and Pink, an advocacy group for LGBTQIA2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Two Spirit, plus) peoples affected by the prison industrial complex, announced on April 9 the purchase of a North Omaha church for housing and community space for young adults. The announcement is a big step forward for the organization bringing their “Opportunity Campus” to life.
Read MoreIn 2015 the Greater Omaha Chamber in collaboration with the Urban League of Nebraska Young Professionals conducted a survey that revealed a need to create connectedness and oppurtunity for Black residents. In 2019 TheAfter along with LeFlore Creative were contracted by the Greater Omaha Chamber in partnership with I Be Black Girl, Urban League of Nebraska Young Proffessional, Young Black and Influential Omaha to create a website that serves as a resource for engagement in cultural experiences for Black people.
Read MoreGovernor Ricketts announced today that $200 million was granted to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Nebraska residents, excluding those from Douglas and Lancaster counties, can now apply to the program. Emergency Rental Assistance for Douglas and Lancaster counties will be shared locally not through this program. Information will be released in early March about local assistance for residents of: Douglas County, Lancaster County, the city of Lincoln and the City of Omaha.
Read MoreThis supplemental reading for the NOISE exclusive “Records Show Omaha Police Surveilled BLM Organizers”, takes us back to a time when police surveillance didn’t involve social media.
Read MoreIn a Brennan Center analysis, Sahil Singhvi suggests that the policies surrounding police infiltration of protests might be due for an update. He points out the landmark 1976 report from the Church Committee, which investigated federal intelligence abuse like COINTELPRO and called for, “raising the threshold for intelligence collection by shifting the focus from association and advocacy to demonstrated dangerous conduct.”
Read MoreOur NOISEmakers are working hard to pull together information about key bills for the Omaha community focusing on housing, transportation, gender and race/cultural identity freedoms and protections, COVID-19, and equity in education. While the legislature is in session, we’ll be updating this calendar as we know more. Check back daily to stay up to date.
Read MoreOn this day we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A man known around the world as a champion for civil rights and social equality. His legacy even extends to Omaha where he visited in 1958 for the National Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress. (Photo from Omaha World-Herald Archive) Yet on this day, as politicians and government offices post images and quotes of Dr. King, in the 1960s, the same entities wanted nothing to with King and actively conspired to undermine his social influence and the civil rights movement.
Read MoreDead storage was outlined in the report to be vehicles that have not moved over 48 hours and are parked on the street. In addition, cars parked in prohibited locations or blocking sidewalks are susceptible to being ticketed or towed. Per the report, targeted vehicles and car parts located on private property will also be targeted if their storage violates city code and will receive a ‘Notice of Nuisance’ requiring the violation be fixed within 10 days before further action is taken.
Read MoreSign up by Jan 22 for our first-ever virtual book club! Starting February 4th we’ll be reading “You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism” written by Omaha’s very own Lacey Lamar and Amber Ruffin. In a NOISE interview, Lamar spoke with Ashley Salem about how the two sisters interweave comedy and personal anecdotes into the book about growing up, living, and working Black in Omaha.
Image credit: The Bookworm, local Omaha bookstore
Read MoreWell, it was the “new normal” we had become accustomed to since the pandemic of COVID-19. My son and I were off to the grocery store and just after loading ourselves into the car, we settled into our new routine of learning about Black history while out and about and not just at home. This miniseries would later adopt the name “Car-Chronicles.” When his friends spend time with us, we do Car-Chronicles with them as well. On one particular day, I taught my son about Mansa Musa. According to UrbanIntellectuals.com, a Black-owned company that provides positive Black history, culture, and news, Mansa Musa of the Mali empire (Where is this in present-day?), made a pilgrimage to Mecca, which was one of the most beautiful and ornate of its time. So remarkable that which included 60,000 people – 1,200 servants, 500 slaves, and 80 camels carrying more than two tons of gold to be gifted and shared with the poor.
Read MoreDavid Rice (Mondo) and Edward Poindexter were charged and convicted of the murder of Omaha Police Officer Larry Minard. He died after a suitcase bomb containing dynamite exploded in a North Omaha house on August 17, 1970. How did it all unravel? In this second installment of our three-part series, Omaha’s Forgotten Panthers, Kietryn Zychal writes about the investigation and the trial.
Read MoreEd Poindexter and Mondo (David Rice) were found guilty in 1971 of booby-trapping a suitcase bomb to kill an Omaha police officer. Kietryn Zychal writes about how illegally obtained evidence was presented in court against the former Omaha Panthers.
Read MoreThese next few days could be rough ya’ll. Take a moment to slow down and reflect with NOISEmaker Ashley Salem as she speaks with Eric Purcell, life coach and community leader in the Gifford Park Neighborhood. They talk about how to deal with the stressors of 2020 without being too hard on ourselves - because sometimes, as Ashley says, “it just sucks.”
Read MoreCOVID-19 cases across the country are on the rise. Omaha has seen its largest influx in cases since the spring. Here are resources to keep you informed.
Read MoreVoters can cast their early ballot at the Election Commission through Monday, November 2. Tuesday, November 3, is the statewide General Election Day (Presidential Election). Culxr House is providing rides to the polls on Election Day.
Read MoreThe first installment of our three-part series detailing the events of a deadly bombing and controversial convictions giving life sentences to two Omaha Black Panthers in the 1970s. One of the men passed away in prison in 2016, and the other is currently fighting for parole amid the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Read MoreThe science behind masks explained in this NOISE interview. Noisemaker, Ashley Salem speaks with Dr. John Lowe from the University of Nebraska Medical Center as the idea of a mask mandate volleys back and forth across a political court in Douglas County.
Read More"The police made a very intentional choice to do a mass arrest", ACLU weighs in on the July 25th mass arrest. Hear the full interview with NOISE intern Samantha Aguilar.
Read MoreSamantha Aguilar spoke with Christopher “Spike” Eickholt, an attorney and lobbyist with the ACLU of Nebraska. They dive into legal terms surrounding the ways an incarcerated person in Nebraska can be released.
Read MoreThe All-Fund budget is approximately $1.2 billion; the 2021 General Fund budget is $493.3 million; the budget for the Omaha Police Department is $161.8 million. Visit www.cityofomaha.org for the proposed 2021budget (07/21/2020).
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