Historical events linked to Omaha’s civil rights movement and its music scene that are part of the original musical “What’s Goin’ On”:
1919: Downtown lynching of Willie Brown
1930-40: Clubs and artists that were part of Omaha’s early jazz scene
1940-60: Omaha artists who helped build a bridge from jazz to R&B and then to rock ’n’ roll
1950s, ’60s: What Omaha was like at Ak-Sar-Ben, Peony Park, etc.
1958: The Rev. Martin Luther King’s speech at Salem Baptist Church
1964: Malcolm X’s speech in north Omaha
1966: Race riots March 4 and July 4
1966: Oscar-nominated documentary “A Time for Burning”
1968: King assassination and Lawrence McVoy speech in north Omaha
1968: Bobby Kennedy visit to north Omaha shortly before his assassination
1969: Vivian Strong killed at Logan Fontenelle, subsequent riot
1970: Election of Ernie Chambers to the State Legislature
1971: Black Panthers David Rice and Edward Poindexter convicted in bombing, policeman’s death
1964-74: Disproportionate deaths of African-American soldiers in Vietnam War
Also: Major sports figures who broke through racial barriers
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