African American migration to the Great Plains during the nineteenth century transformed the social, political, economic, and cultural landscape of the American West. These black migrants, many who were born into slavery, viewed the Great Plains as a potential site for their economic self-determination and political empowerment. As Jim Crow laws became an indelible feature of Black Southern experiences, states like Nebraska appealed to many African Americans, some of settled in cities like Omaha and Lincoln and other who chose to remain farmers, homesteading in Cherry County.
This talk by Jeannette Jones, UNL Associate Professor of History and Ethnic Studies, will explore the promises and perils of Nebraska as a site for Black mobility in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (1877-1919).
The lecture will also be uploaded on the History Nebraska YouTube channel afterward.
Funding for this event is provided by AARP.
