As a trusted and credible community elder in my beloved North Omaha, I come to you in an sincere effort for you to see what I seen.
I grew up in a redlined and segregated Omaha. I witnessed the development of a wonderful and rich culture in my beloved North Omaha, along with multiple generations of poverty. I have seen the reaction within my community to police shootings, racism and racial strife. Those reactions have ranged from generational trauma to outright anger, violence and destructive protests. I have seen the brain drain and financial flight of some of our most talented African American people, to other more receptive cities.
I offer myself as an example. My first job was with IBM, starting in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1966. I was with them 15 years, starting in my early 20s. My gifts and financial potential were lost to North Omaha, as were so many of my North Omaha generation. We purposely left for opportunities elsewhere. For the record, I returned home in 2005.
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Currently, I provide tours of the rich culture and history of North Omaha, which include all the good, bad and the ugly we have experienced. I note on my tour — and I note to you — that there are buildings in North Omaha that are boarded up and have been since the 1960s. I have been puzzled and amazed at why there has never been a concerted, comprehensive and thoughtful major development to improve, develop and rebuild North Omaha.
Despite Nebraska’s claim of “The Good Life,” North Omaha has been a cloud on the glitter of Omaha and, to some degree, Nebraska. The realities of North Omaha are that generational poverty has created a community that has had to grapple with disparities in health, incarceration, educational achievement gaps, inequities and, I repeat, significant disinvestment. Generations of business as usual.
Now, in 2022, following the aftermath of George Floyd, assaults on democracy and heightened divisiveness, Omaha should realize that we are at the fork in the road.
Our leadership, in the private and public sectors, should understand that our very essence is at this fork. Will our city continue business as usual, or use this time as a great opportunity to make a statement of greatness, vision and transformation?
Let me be specific. There are many great and significant developments happening throughout the city. I am going to focus on two : They are the sparkling and exciting Kiewit Luminarium, in north downtown, and the awesome and game-changing, beautiful high-rise home of Mutual of Omaha in central downtown. In my humble view, these are wonderful additions, not only to our greater downtown area, but to Omaha. They will both serve us, as does the St. Louis Arch and the Seattle Space Needle. Those two new developments alone can signal our greatness.
I see a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these developments to make a grand statement . Their development could be linked to a collateral development in our city’s most depressed areas. Imagine, if Mutual of Omaha collaborated with the community in their most depressed area, and developed an intentional, linked development in that sector? Something that would serve to change the nature — and the future — of that community forever.
I am not suggesting what form that collateral development will take. That can be part of the wonderful story. I suggest to you, when the story is told, it can be a beacon and example for cities all over the country to follow. Why not Omaha leading the way? We have that opportunity.
Despite the greatness of the new Mutual building that I am using as a example, I pray we are not facing business as usual. The same dynamics apply to the wonderful north downtown development of the Kiewit Luminarium. Will Omaha continue down its historical path of North Omaha neglect or will we once and for all seize the opportunities for greatness?
Lastly, I am an advocate for TIF. Tax Increment Financing, which simply stated, defers tax collections to facilitate and attract good developments. But business as usual does not take into consideration the effect that deferring tax has on the funding of Omaha Public Schools.
We are at a fork in the road, business as usual versus opportunity for greatness. North Omaha wants to know what directions will be taken this time.
Columns by Community Columnist Preston Love Jr.
Preston Love Jr. is a longtime Omaha civic engagement activist who also teaches black studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. These views do not represent those of UNO.
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