James S. Bryant (1869-after 1903) was a journalist and civil rights activist in Omaha, Nebraska. He worked with Ferdinand L. Barnett on his paper, ''The Progress'' in the 1890s. Moving to Omaha in 1890, Bryant came from Loiusville, Kentucky, where he was a lawyer on the circuit court. He was admitted to the district court in Omaha in April 1890, becoming the second African American among 340 total who served in that capacity. In 1890, he was a member of a national building, loan, and protective union organized to assist Omaha blacks to buy or build a home. The local board of the group consisted of president

George F. Franklin George F. Franklin (February 1852–1901) was a journalist and civic leader in Omaha, Nebraska, and Denver, Colorado. He owned and published two African-American newspapers, '' The Enterprise'' in Omaha, and ''The Denver Star'' (formerly ''The ...

, vice president William Marshall, Secretary and Treasurer

Alfred S. Barnett Alfred S. Barnett (December 27, 1858 – aft. 1905) was an American journalist and civil rights activist in Omaha, Nebraska, Des Moines, Iowa, and Chicago, Illinois. In Des Moines, Barnett created and ran the newspaper, ''The Weekly Avalanche ...

, Attorney James S. Bryant. The Board of Appraisers was

Millard F. Singleton Millard Filmore Singleton (November 14, 1859 – November 12, 1939) was an African-American political leader and civil servant in Omaha Nebraska. He was an officer in the Omaha Colored Republican Club and the Omaha branch of the National Afro-Ame ...

Alphonso Wilson Alphonso Wilson (1860 December, 4 - 1936) was an African-American activist in Omaha, Nebraska at the turn of the 20th century. Wilson was born in Bedford, Missouri in 1860. In 1880 he moved to Chicago and in 1886 he moved to Omaha. In Omaha he ...

, and Harrison Buckner. In 1894 he was an officer of the Afro American Fair association in Omaha with A. D. White and S. G. Ernest. In this capacity, he disputed with

Cyrus D. Bell Cyrus Dicks Bell (August 1848 - October 21, 1925) was a journalist, civil rights activist, and civic leader in Omaha, Nebraska. He owned and edited the black newspaper ''Afro-American Sentinel'' during the 1890s. He was an outspoken political ...

, who was editor of a rival paper, over the organization and activities of the group. He was also an officer of the Union League club led By

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 ...

along with H. J. Granby and Alphonso Wilson. In 1895, he was a delegate to the state meeting of the National Afro-American League, along with Franklin, Singleton, and Ricketts. He also worked in the city comptroller's office. He had a daughter in about 1879. His wife, Lena L ''nee Hartfeld'' Bryant, died on November 18, 1896. In 1898, Bryant was named a second Lieutenant with the "colored volunteer militia company." Bryant was implicated in an attack on his wife's mother in 1903. In a report from the ''Omaha World-Herald,'' he was said to be drunk when he cut her with a razor. Eight stitches were required to close the two-inch cut across her neck."Bryant slashes Mrs. Harfeld with a razor," Omaha World-Herald, March 25, 1903. pg 3. After that Bryant disappears from the public record.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, James Activists for African-American civil rights American civil rights activists Writers from Omaha, Nebraska African-American activists African-American journalists Journalists from Nebraska