More than a hundred years ago, African Americans in the Midwest rallied to be included in the Trans-Mississippi & International Exposition, a World’s Fair that is still considered the biggest event in Omaha’s history. Determined black men and women dared to challenge Exposition management on issues of illegal segregation and discrimination and thus established an interracial civil rights movement that preceded the founding of the NAACP by more than a decade.

David Peavler, historian at the University of Kansas, will present the hidden story of the Omaha Exposition. His media presentation entitled “Invisible Men in the White City” will be from 7–8:30 p.m., Nov. 19, lower level of Omaha Public Library’s W. Dale Clark Library, 215 S. 15th St. Admission and parking are free. Peavler is the recipient of several awards and has won national recognition from the Association for the Study of African American Life & History. Noted articles by Peavler include “The Strange Career of Jim Crow Schools in Nebraska, 1858-1887;” “Equality and Economy: The Creation and Elimination of Separate Schools in Iowa, 1858-1888;” and “Drawing the Color Line in Kansas City: The Creation of Sumner High School.”

Peavler’s presentation is sponsored by Omaha Public Library, the Trans-Mississippi Exposition Historical Association, University of Nebraska-Omaha Black Studies Department, Nebraska State Historical Society, and the Douglas County Historical Society.

Visit omahapubliclibrary.org or call 444-4800 for more information.

Contact:
Linda Trout, 402-444-4838
ltrout@omahapubliclibrary.org
or
David Peavler, 785-393-2983
dpeavler@ku.edu