Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The New Face Of North Omaha, 2018: Our Asian/Karen Neighbors, Part 1, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

On September 21, 2018, I, along with many others, were shocked and dismayed at the disgraceful handling of 500 of our fellow North Omaha neighbors, the Asian ethnic group Karen. These wonderful, loving people, come from an area sandwiched between Thailand and Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Their plight is tragic because they have been victims of ethnic genocide and warfare in their own country, forced to become refugees in Thailand, in mostly isolated and overcrowded and otherwise horrible conditions. Over 400,000 Karen people are homeless, and with a few exceptions, no access to clean water, electricity, clothing and proper …

Face To Face With Black History, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

June 23, 40 of our youth, specifically OPS High School youth returned from a life changing Civil Rights Tour throughout the South. Memphis, Birmingham, Tuskegee, Selma, Across the Edmond Pettus Bridge, Montgomery (including the new lynching Memorial and Memorial) and Atlanta. They returned different than they left. They returned educated, sensitized, empowered and focused. They are going to be our future leaders. They came face to face with their own Black history. They will never be the same.

Urban Economic Development, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

Previously, I have written that there are three emerging issues that will impact north Omaha and require collaboration and engagement with the community, Economic development is priority number one. Included in this article is what I see as the need for our political parties to act on.

North Omaha Makes Political History, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

“North Omaha, Vote like Crazy”
April 14th will go down in the long and rich history of North Omaha as a significant event albeit political for our community.

Over 250 community members of all political persuasions, cultures, and races joined together Saturday, April 14th at the MCC Culinary Arts building for a four-hour intense but relaxed first ever North Omaha Political Convention.

Responsible Economic Development In North Omaha: Scooters, 30th & Ames, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

Below is the full statement I made at the ribbon cutting and Grand Opening of Scooters at 30th and Ames:

Greetings to all attendees to this very significant occasion. Special greetings to both the scooters corporate family and the Julian Young business family. I appreciate the small space on this momentous program.

Emerging Issues For North Omaha, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

In the book Economic Cataracts (Love, 2015), the author discusses the residuals of poverty-stricken communities and in particular, North Omaha. The book list and discusses 10 of the reasons poverty-stricken communities are not engaged, a few of the reasons: Poverty, Over-abundance of non-profits and low voter turnout.

Vanessa Ward For Governor!!, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

Vanessa Ward represents every good and confronts the bad about the politics. North Omaha has produced some great gems over the years. Athletics, musicians, entrepreneurship, community, the professions, intellectual capital and lastly in politics. Space does not allow me to expand on each but I surely could. Ernie Chambers, Gayle Sayers, Buddy Miles, Cathy Hughes, Bob Gibson, Johnny Rodgers, Gabrielle Union, Dr. Donald Townsend, Symone Sanders, the Fair Deal Café and oh yea, Malcolm. This short list represents only the “tip of the iceberg” of what our north Omaha has offered. For of those not on this short, I ask …

“My Two Years With Jesse Jackson Sr.”, Part 4, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

Jesse Jackson Sr. has made many pilgrimages, negotiating and freeing many American’s in the sensitive world of formal and informal diplomacy. None were more dramatic than in his run for President in 1984. December of 1983 he traveled to Syria and successfully freed an American Soldier (Lt. Goodman) who had been captured and held hostage by the Syrian government. Later in June of 1984, Jackson freed American and Cuban prisoners, capping a dramatic exercise in personal diplomacy with President Fidel Castro of Cuba. Mr. Jackson's chartered Boeing 707 arrived at Dulles International Airport just before midnight with 16 American prisoners …

“My Two Years With Jesse Jackson Sr.”, Part 3, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

With the recent announcement that Rev. Jackson has Parkinson’s disease I thought Omaha Star readers would enjoy some of my reflections from the historical times I spent with this civil rights icon. Part 1 and II is recommended reading)

“My Two Years With Jesse Jackson Sr”, Part 2, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

“My Two Years with Jesse Jackson Sr”- Part 2 (Reflections of my time with America’s second African-American candidate for his party’s nomination for President -1984)

With the recent announcement that Rev. Jackson has Parkinson’s disease I thought Omaha Star readers would enjoy some of my reflections from the historical times I spent with this civil rights icon. Part 1 (The Prelude), is recommended reading)

“My Two Years With Jesse Jackson Sr”, Part 1, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

With the recent announcement of Rev. Jackson has Parkinson’s disease I thought Omaha Star readers would enjoy some of my reflections from the historical times I spent with this civil rights icon.

Black Votes Matter Plans Civil Right Tour Planned For Or Teens, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

Maurice Jones has the résumé to prove how an Omaha Public Schools-sponsored trip to Selma for the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” changed his life. Next summer, 40 more teens will get the same chance.

North Omaha Voter: Which Excuse Is Yours!! Part 2, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

Bellevue University. I wrote two 2000-word papers on my finding. Both papers analyzed finding from a random survey which included an interview question. The survey asked about voter habits, age, race, and reasons for the participant who are not voting, why not. The results were stimulating and I plan to expand on the study this year. The two papers are available from my website: prestonlovejr.com/ blackvotesmatter/case study.

Last issue I shared a short excerpt from one of papers. The following represents a summary of the reasons stated by the participants on why they are not voting. The sample was 55% …

North Omaha Voter: Which Excuse Is Yours!!, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

Recently I conducted a scholarly research project for my Master’s Degree class of study at Bellevue University. I wrote two 2000-word papers on my finding. Both papers analyzed finding from a random survey which included an interview question. The survey asked about voter habits, age, race, and reasons for the participant who are not voting, why not. The results were stimulating and I plan to expand on the study this year. The two papers are available from my website: prestonlovejr.com/blackvotesmatter/case study.

I am share a short excerpt from one of papers. The following represents a summary of the reasons stated …

3120: African American Experience In Politics, Part 2 Of 3, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

This study attempts to investigate the question and the problem: The Question: “who is voting and who is not voting. If not why”. For my total Case Study the previous Quantitative narrative was the precursor to this qualitative analysis. The quantitative analysis provided a base for the qualitative. From the Part 1 Quantitative summary “What was significant, the findings supported the two hypotheses clearly.” The hypotheses and data qualifiers were as follows:

Hypothesis:

1. That Blacks and non-whites are outvoted by Whites.
2. That older citizens outvote younger voters

Data Qualifiers

1. That a larger than usual sample of the survey participants may …

3120: African American Experience In Politics, Part 1 Of 3, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

This study attempts to investigate the question and the problem: The Question: “who is voting and who is not voting. If not why”. This question is chronic and is now present in every urban center and creeping into the rural communities. This study is inspired by the problem that exist in urban black communities, but focuses on a random sample of voters ask to participate in a simple six question survey. The Case Study will use both quantitative and qualitative measures analyze and display the study results. This paper (Case study part1) is devoted to the quantitative method. Specifically, we …

Our Future Leaders, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

In January of 2015, I wrote “As you know the North Omaha Voter Participation Project (Voter Project) has been in the forefront of North Omaha’s voter participation for now nine (9) years, founded by Preston Love Jr. Recently Preston has written two very thought provoking articles relative to the voting problems in North Omaha (see the titles below). The Voter Project along with others, saw the upcoming release of the film 'Selma' as a great opportunity to highlight the history of voting rights and the importance of voting. Since one of our Voter Project goals is to engage young …

Letters From North Omaha, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

Dear Senator Ben Sasse,

Many voters in 2014 voted for your opponent Dave Domina, I was his deputy campaign manager. Once elected I expected that the communities and voters throughout Nebraska would be respected and their needs evaluated and some degree of dialogue. We are real, we are Nebraskans and have expectations of our elected officials. I am a resident and advocate for north Omaha. We have needs related to poverty, jobs, economic development, healthcare, home ownership, and more. To my knowledge there are no initiatives, no dialogue, nothing.

Additionally, it appears that there is no diversity on your senate …

Nebraska Felons “Let My People Go””, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

The Nebraska Senate, thanks to new State Senator Justin Wayne’s Bill (LB75), is considering reducing the wait time for Felons to be able to vote in Nebraska. Currently Nebraska requires a Felon to wait two (2) years after they are released from prison and/or are released from probation restrictions, (commonly called being on paper), before they can vote. Wayne’s Bill would reduce the time to zero wait time. Let me be clear the felons have satisfied their “debt” to society and yet they cannot vote. Nebraska, come on “Let My People Go””, let them vote.

North Omaha Votes Matter: 2017 Election Result And Its Impact, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

What will it take for North Omaha to realize the importance of our vote? As the present President and his administration quickly begin to dismantle many of the gains from as far back as the civil rights administration; as the present administration talks of eliminating CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds to the cities, as this administration seeks to undo many of the Consent Decrees initiated and signed with cities and police departments, where their practices were deemed by the Obama administration as wrongful and required new rules and monitoring, as this administration executed executive orders by the President to …

2017 Mayoral And City Council Election, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

In 2008 North Omaha 62% of the registered voters, actually voted, that % is called voter turnout. In 2012 the turnout was 55%. In 2016, in spite of repeated warning from this column and elsewhere that unless we voted, candidate Trump could win and that could be disastrous to urban communities like north Omaha. Well we voted at a dismal 47% and candidate Trump has become the President of the USA. Now in less than 60 days since becoming President, there have been cuts in federal programs that our community needs, dumb immigration policies, foreign policies that could bring us …

Ladies And Gentlemen Start Your Engines: 2017 Election Is Now, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

North Omaha, once again I am disappointed in our ability to see how important our vote is. We like other black communities around the country did not vote in numbers high enough to ward off the Trump vote and as a result we got Trump as the President of the US. For the last weeks we are now seeing the effects of our lack of recognition of the importance of our National and State elections. It should be noted that part of the blame for a reduced black voter turnout is the continued and increased voter suppression efforts by Republicans …

Community Development: Self-Help Approach, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

Community Development has been part of much of my adult life. While I played roles in the process, I never have been part of the core development itself, but a resource to those who were. In Chicago I was a researcher and consultant in the definition and assembly of the collateral” (land) around O’Hara Airport for Mayor Harold Washington (Chicago’s first black Mayor) The controversial idea was to develop underutilized land around the airport into vast industrial, retail and housing complex. In Atlanta I was Commissioner of Planning for the City, at the beginning of then Mayor Andrew Young’s, vision …

2016 Election: Part 2: The Cycle Continues, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

From Part 1: “North Omaha voted at a poor rate. We did not vote large enough to make our collective voices heard in this election. Thus our preferences were defeated. For good or bad, our non-voting contributed to the victory of Trump and the defeats of Ashford and restoration of the Nebraska death penalty…. Beginning immediately there needs to be, A New Attitude; Demands for accountability from our leadership and outside forces to develop with the community new avenues for inclusion of wealth into north Omaha. Not grants, gifts etc., but job development, small business development and supporting services. …

2016 Election: Time For New Attitudes, New Agendas And New Actions, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

The initial numbers from the 2016 national elections are in and the results are our new realities. Many of us along with the Black Votes Matter initiative have been calling for a strong and forceful vote to provide additional leverage to our advocacy for our community’s best interest. Our voting power assists us when arguing our case to the public and private sectors. We need our community’s leadership to demand respect and demand economic inclusions measures necessary for us to build an economically healthy and developing community for our youth, our businesses and our culture. Ultimately, our community’s welfare needs …

Voting: What Do Our Kids Say?, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

This fall Black Votes Matter, my UNO “Black Politics” class and a Benson High School class of 25 embarked on a civic education project, which revealed something wonderful. Those reading this column and have read my book Economic Cataracts (Love, 2015) are aware that one of my major concerns is that our youth are not receiving an adequate amount of civic education. As such I have led efforts to improve the situation. We led in 2015 the effort for 700 of our youth to see the movie SELMA. We are partnering with the League of votes to insert civic lessons …

The 2016 Ballot, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

By now many of you have received your ballots and in fact already have voted. The forecast from the election commission is that over 40% of our voters will vote early. This issue of the Omaha Star will surface to its readers October 22nd. By now the deadline for voter registration will have passed, except in person at the Election Commission. (225 N 115th). By now there is only one week left until a request for an early ballot can be received (October 28th).

My message is directed to those of you who still have not voted, those of you …

Presidential Politics And The Black Vote, Part 3 Of 3, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

From part 2: In that hotel, that day we struggled and argued the pro and cons and finally he made the decision. At that moment he decided to run for President of the United States

November 3, 1983, Rev Jesse L. Jackson announced that he was running to be the President of United States. The room was filled to the brim with blacks and white, leaders and followers, Secret Service and two hecklers who were escorted out of the room. American and African American history was made that day and the following months. During the exploratory period, Jackson was awarded …

Presidential Politics And The Black Vote, Part 2 Of 3, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

From part 1. “No consensus decision was ever formally made (of what black leader would run for President in 1984) but Rev Jackson decided to test the waters and received the blessing of most of the leaders.

RUN, JESSE RUN!
Rev Jackson launched a southern voter registration tour, hired me as his only staff (I took a leave of absence from the City of Atlanta). “ During the summer of 1983 Rev. Jackson and I traveled at first during the weekends and later full time, into the historic southern states Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky. Rev Jackson …

Presidential Politics And The Black Vote, Part 1 Of 3, Preston Love Jr.

Black Studies Faculty Publications

With the advent of the 2016 Presidential contest, I reflect on the impact and importance of the black Vote during presidential elections. There have been significant events that must be acknowledged prior to any discussion of the presidential black vote. We must establish the importance of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. We must be reminded of the importance of the civil rights struggle and movement culminating in the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the events of Selma. These historic events laid the ground work for the explosion of black registration and voting.