More recognition for Malcolm X urged

A veteran of the civil rights movement is urging Omaha to do more to recognize native son Malcolm X

August “Buddy” Hogan Sr. was speaking Tuesday on the civil rights movement in Omaha as part of the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Black History Month observances.

He gave a wide-ranging speech that focused on the roots of the national civil rights movement -- including the U.S. Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision -- before narrowing his focus to Omaha.

After talking about the lynching murder of William Brown, the founding of the Omaha branch of the NAACP and other events, Hogan related how Malcolm X's family left Omaha because of the Ku Klux Klan, and he made a pointed call for the city to do more to memorialize this native son.

“He is among the most notable people ever born in this town. There is an organization called the Malcolm X Foundation trying to promote the memory of Malcolm and the work that he did,” Hogan said.

“You would think that such a monumental national figure would be a subject of great pride to all Omahans. We're struggling here and have been for years to get any recognition for Malcom, because he also was considered to be a radical and a militant. He was a great human being who worked for the cause of social justice.”

Valerie Thompson, assistant director of cultural programs and student organizations at the college, said Hogan's presentation was important to the month's programming.

“We've done the whole, overarching Civil Rights movement, but to bring it home to the actual community the students currently reside in was really important,” she said.

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