Jack Broomfield (1865–1927) was an
African-American community activist and political leader in
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
in the early 20th century.
About
After Dr.
Matthew Ricketts
Matthew Oliver Ricketts (April 3, 1858 – January 3, 1917) was an American politician and physician. He was the first African-American member of the Nebraska Legislature, where he served two terms in the Nebraska House of Representatives (th ...
left Omaha in 1903, Jack Broomfield stepped into the position of the political leader of Omaha's African-American community. Broomfield was an ex-
Pullman porter
Pullman porters were men hired to work for the railroads as porters on sleeping cars. Starting shortly after the American Civil War, George Pullman sought out former slaves to work on his sleeper cars. Their job was to carry passengers’ bag ...
who owned and ran the Midway, a nationally known saloon and gambling hall. The hangout for men was at 1124 Capitol Avenue near the seedy
Sporting District.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton called the Midway the "most notorious dive in Omaha".
Critics complained that Broomfield was more interested in promoting his illicit interests with the political boss
Tom Dennison than promoting the interests of his race. Broomfield had allowed blacks to lose political influence throughout the city, and particularly fell through on keeping the community safe.
[Larsen, L.H., Cottrell, B.J. and Dalstrom, H.A. (2007), p. 218.] It was under his leadership that the
lynching of Will Brown occurred, but it is difficult to say whether any African-American leader could have prevented such a mob outbreak.
He was unable to prevent subsequent
redlining of the
Near North Side and other forms of segregation throughout the city.
Broomfield contracted local African-American architect
Clarence W. Wigington to build the
Broomfield Rowhouse
The Broomfield Rowhouse is located at 2502-2504 Lake Street in the Near North Side neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. It was designed by African American architect Clarence W. Wigington, who was later regarded as a master in his field. His desi ...
in 1913.
See also
*
Harry Buford
*
List of people from North Omaha, Nebraska
There are a number of notable ''people from North Omaha, Nebraska''. This list includes people who lived in the community for any period of time, as well as groups and organizations of people within North Omaha.
Political figures
* John Ada ...
*
Crime in Omaha
Crime in Omaha, Nebraska has varied widely, ranging from Omaha's early years as a frontier town with typically widespread gambling and prostitution, to civic expectation of higher standards as the city grew, and contemporary concerns about violent ...
References
Activists from Omaha, Nebraska
African-American life in Omaha, Nebraska
1865 births
1927 deaths
Crime in Omaha, Nebraska
{{AfricanAmerican-stub