Omaha race riot of 1919

The Omaha race riot occurred in Omaha, Nebraska, September 28–29, 1919. The race riot resulted in the brutal lynching of Will Brown, a black worker; the death of two white men; the attempted hanging of Mayor Edward Parsons Smith; and a public rampage by thousands of whites who set fire to the Douglas County Courthouse in downtown Omaha. It followed more than 20 race riots that occurred in major industrial cities of the United States during the Red Summer of 1919.

Background

Three weeks before the riot, federal investigators had noted that "a clash was imminent owing to ill-feeling between white and black workers in the stockyards." The number of blacks in Omaha doubled during the decade 1910–1920, as they were recruited to work in the meatpacking industry, and competing workers noticed. In 1910, Omaha had the third largest black population among the new western cities that had become destinations following Reconstruction. By 1920, the black population more than doubled to over 10,000, second only to Los Angeles with nearly 16,000. It was ahead of San Francisco, Oakland, Topeka, and Denver.

Will Brown

Will Brown may refer to:

See also

Will Brown (basketball)

Will Brown (born October 10, 1971) is an American college men's basketball coach. He is currently the head coach of the Albany Great Danes men's basketball team. In his time as head coach, Brown has led Albany to their first five NCAA tournament berths.

Brown joined the Albany staff as an assistant for the 2001–02 season, and was named interim head coach on December 20, 2001. On March 13, 2002, Brown was officially hired to take the full-time job.

Prior to arriving at Albany, Brown spent three years at the head men's coach at Sullivan County Community College, compiling a record of 90–10 in those three seasons. Brown began his coaching career as an assistant for three seasons at The College of Saint Rose.

Born in Miller Place, New York, Brown played collegiate basketball at Dowling College, starting for three years. He finished his career as the school's all-time leader in assists, three-point field goals and free-throw percentage, and is the only player in Dowling history to score 1,000 points and tally 500 assists.