Definitions anchor us in principles, values and expectations. We begin with the basic work of defining the kind of people we aspire to be. We aspire to be anti-racist. To be anti-racist is to set clear and accessible definitions of where, what, and how racism shows up in policies, practices and people; and how we actively work to dismantle those racist systems. 

This is a guide for the anti-racist Nebraskan, someone ready to work toward racial equity, justice and healing. This guide is for Nebraskans who are new to the work and those who have been engaged in this fight. It’s a guide for everyone because we all have a role to play.

We can work towards achieving our goals of dismantling racist systems by learning, using our voices, using our power and healing.

Last Updated: June 2021

Jump to Section

• Key Terms
• Learn
• Voice
• Power
• Heal

Key Terms

Anti-racism: The conscious and continuous intention to identify, describe and dismantle race-based hatred, prejudice and discrimination while promoting racial equity, justice and liberation in our daily lives and communities. 

BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, (and other) people of color. This term has been described as an effort to center Black and Indigenous voices in conversations of racial justice. It has also been criticized as overly general. It is used in this guide whenever an umbrella term is needed for Nebraskans of color, who all deal with racism in different ways in this state.

Equity: Different groups and people have varying levels of access, power and opportunity based on their identities. Equity refers to recalibration, action to address these disparities.

Racial justice: An environment where people of all races and ethnicities have equitable opportunities and outcomes.

Liberation: The act of breaking free from oppression to find joy, healing and abundance.

Systemic racism: Entrenched systems and structures that privilege white people while harming people of color. We find this in everything from college admission tests to our legal system.

Anti-Black: Racism that marginalizes Black people and issues while trying to invalidate Blackness as a whole. Sometimes it’s as overt as the hatred of groups like the KKK. Other times it’s more covert - like a policy based on a “colorblind” or “melting pot” philosophy that seeks to erase or ignore Black people’s experiences and perspectives for the sake of white people’s comfort.

Return to top.

Learn

Learning is a journey. It’s a daily commitment to further your advocacy through understanding other lived experiences beyond your point of view. Start by learning how to identify systemic racism and how it presents itself in policies, programs, legislation, housing, education, health care and more. Continue learning by reading literature authored by Black individuals, watching media centering Black voices, and by engaging in anti-racism conversations with other people.

Locally, there are many resources available to explore historical and present-day circumstances. As we see and celebrate the strengths of our communities, we must also take a hard look at disparities that limit full opportunity and prosperity.

Reading recommendations

• “24th and Glory – The Intersection of Civil Rights and Omaha's Greatest Generation of Athletes,” Dirk Chatelain  
• “Ahead of Their Time: The Story of the Omaha DePorres Club,” Matt Holland
• “A Black Women’s History of the United States,” Daina Ramey Berry & Kali Nicole Gross
• “Between the World and Me,” Ta-Nehisi Coates  
• “May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem,” Imani Perry
• “Omaha Civil Rights History Timeline,” NOISE
• “So You Want To Talk About Race,” Ijeoma Oluo 
• “Stamped from the Beginning,” Ibram X. Kendi
• “Unapologetic,” Charlene Carruthers
• “We Do This ‘Til We Free Us,” Mariame Kaba
• “We Will Not Cancel Us: And Other Dreams of Transformative Justice,” Adrienne Maree Brown
• “Women Race and Class,” Angela Davis

Podcast Recommendations

Anti-Racism Daily Podcast and Octavia’s Parables.

Movie and TV Recommendations

13th, And Still I Rise, Fruitvale Station, I am Not Your Negro, The Hate U Give, and Hidden Figures.

Return to top.

 

Voice

An expressive tool used to identify and call out racist practices, policies and systems while lifting up and creating space for healing and liberation.

Just like learning is a continual process, so is using your voice. By speaking out however we can, we can advocate for our communities’ needs and help build a future on a foundation of equity, justice and healing.

Demonstrating is a powerful way to use your voice, but before you hit the streets, know your rights and know the risk.

Voting is another outlet to make sure your voice is heard. Every election cycle, we need to ask every candidate on the ballot about their record and plans to advance racial justice before we cast our votes. Get started by checking and updating your voter registration. Know your voting rights (derecho al voto) and, if applicable, take time to read through the ACLU’s voting information for voters who are presently and formerly incarcerated or trans, nonbinary or gender nonconforming.

A note for allies who aren’t Nebraskans of color: be mindful of your privilege and how you’re using your voice to protect BIPOC Nebraskans and advance their goals. For example, if you’re at a racial justice protest, be in conversation with BIPOC organizers and follow their lead.

Return to top.
 

Power

If enough of us were to realize that we all hold power, what might change look like?

Conversations about power often center on resources, representation and outcomes where BIPOC folks are excluded. For too long, in too many of our cities, streets have separated us not just by zip code but by race, ethnicity, opportunity, wealth and well-being. We know the answer is representation and investment.

We can also use policy as a lever for change. Elected officials represent us and we must call on them to use the power we give them.

Sometimes the hardest part of leveraging power is knowing where to start. The simple truth is that you can start anywhere and affect change through inspired action. Here are just a few ways to begin:

At the State Level

• Check out the ACLU of Nebraska’s streamlined list of legislation recommendations based on introduced bills that will carry over to 2022. Rejecting the new prison, legalizing marijuana, ending cash bail, and restoring the right to vote would help address the effects of institutional racism in our communities. 
• I Be Black Girl’s legislative agenda offers other important focus areas: expanding child care subsidies; expanding access to quality and culturally relevant maternal health services; addressing the pay equity gap through paid family leave; banning salary history from job applications; and increasing capital investment.
• Review this helpful list of tips for contacting your elected officials.  
• Contact your state senator and urge them to advance justice and equity in Nebraska.

At a Community Level

• Contact your city council representative, county commissioners, mayor, and if applicable, local Chamber to tell them investment in BIPOC communities is a key part of moving forward on racial justice. Let them know the need is urgent and that incremental change is not a solution.
• Some communities have declared racism a public health crisis but at the same time doubled down on systems that disproportionately harm Black Nebraskans. As an example, look no further than the Douglas County board using millions of dollars that originated through the CARES Act to help build a jail for kids. Leaders must be held accountable for both their words and actions.

At a School Level

• Listen and learn from students’ lived experiences. Their voice is their truth, and we have a lot to understand from our youth.
• Learn about our joint call to reinvest resources into counseling and mental health services. Tell your school’s superintendent and school board it's time to remove police from our schools. 
• Be an advocate for effective health education in Nebraska. In 2021, a group attacked the proposed health standards because the drafting team used an equity lens - a way of making sure the standards are the best they can be for students of all races, identities and backgrounds.
• Continue the fight to ensure strong anti-racism measures are adopted by the Nebraska School Activities Association to ensure a sense of belonging for student athletes. Far too many disturbing recent reports make it clear that students are facing unfair and discriminatory treatment as they compete.

Return to top.

Heal

To heal we must first connect with our thoughts, feelings, values and beliefs. Healing begins with ourselves so that we may have the strength and learnings to heal our communities. This work is not only about addressing centuries of harm but also identifying and celebrating joy, resilience and power.

The most important relationship you have is with yourself and it is the hardest relationship to start and maintain, especially when navigating challenging life experiences. You are worthy, know that. This is the heart of self-care.

These resources can assist with self-care and healing:

• “Dianne Bondy’s Yoga for Every Body,” Dianne Bondy
• “My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies,” Resmaa Menakem 
• “Soothe Your Nerves,” Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett
• “The State of Black Girls: A Go-To Guide for Creating Safe Space for Black Girls,” Marline Francois-Madden 
• “The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health,” Dr. Rheeda Walker
• Tribal Information Exchange Self-Care Resources

Click here to check in with yourself during the healing process with a useful Self-Care Compass.

Although healing begins with you, it is critical to identify practices to heal our communities so that we may become fully whole. By contributing to, investing in and uplifting BIPOC-led organizations and businesses in our community we can continue our personal healing process and begin to heal our community. Explore the Black Business Directory at Connect Black Omaha. NP Dodge offers a list of more than 120 Black-owned businesses in and around Omaha. Lincoln businesses can be found in the Lincoln Journal Star and from Sarah Baker Hansen. Have a list to add? Email comm@aclunebraska.org

Return to top

---

This guide is affiliated with the ACLU’s nationwide Systemic Equality campaign. The Systemic Equality agenda is a national, holistic approach to ensuring the promises of life, liberty and happiness for all of us. Learn more about the agenda and join the call for Congress to protect and expand voting rights, cancel student loan debt and ensure fair housing for all.

Our spring newsletter hit mailboxes in mid-May, sharing the latest on our work to protect and advance Nebraskans' civil rights and civil liberties. All of its content is available here or as a PDF download.

Jump to Story

• Nebraska Votes by Mail
• Want to End Gerrymandering? Put People Over Politics
• A Message from our Executive Director
• Lives at Risk
• Fighting for Racial Justice Across Nebraska
• Together in Pride, Making History
• New Faces
• 17 Days

---

Nebraska Votes by Mail

It was a record turnout primary, but you would not know it looking at Nebraska’s polling places on election day. Most voters made their voices heard by effectively and securely casting their ballots via mail.

That level of engagement doesn’t happen by accident. Thanks to effective advocacy from the ACLU and voting rights partners, officials sent vote-by-mail ballot applications to every registered voter. Additionally, a few counties in Nebraska already hold all-mail elections and those voters automatically received their ballots through the mail.

After our effective policy advocacy, the ACLU conducted robust, rapid response organizing. In a few short weeks, we completed over 20,000 live phone calls to our members and supporters statewide, encouraging them to vote by mail and providing education about the process.

This spring also marked our launch of a first-of-its-kind voter education campaign for Nebraskans with criminal justice system involvement. We mailed more than 3,700 Know Your Rights pamphlets, voter registration forms and vote-by-mail applications to Nebraska’s county jails. This work is centered in racial justice, economic justice, and voting rights. Far too many people — especially Nebraskans of color and Nebraskans who are struggling financially — have been ensnared in the criminal justice system and face the long term collateral consequence of disenfranchisement by Jim Crow era legislation; they also face misinformation about whether they are eligible to vote.

This election exemplifies why we will keep fighting to knock down barriers to vote-by-mail options. We need you with us to defend and protect all Nebraskans’ access to the ballot this November and beyond.

Return to top.

 

Want to End Gerrymandering? Put People Over Politics

In early March, our leadership helped launch a ballot initiative that would stop partisan gerrymandering, increase transparency to expand public participation, and empower an independent commission to draw redistricting maps. The signature gathering effort was paused to ensure public health needs come first during the pandemic. Rest assured, we will not shy away from this fight. We are exploring all options to remove partisanship from redistricting in 2021 and in years to come. Whether by ballot initiative, legislative effort, grassroots engagement or litigation, the push for reform carries on. Sign up for campaign updates at NebraskansForIndependentRedistricting.org.

Return to top.

 

A Message From our Executive Director

Dear Friends, our hearts are with each of you in our ACLU family.

Like many of you, our team is working remotely to protect public health. We are balancing full time rapid response to the COVID-19 outbreak, existing work plans and the joys and challenges of caring for and homeschooling little ones while separated from routines, family and friends.

We are in a painful time. Dozens of Nebraska families have lost loved ones. Tens of thousands of our neighbors have lost their jobs and access to healthcare.

We are also in a defining moment. The choices we make as a community in the coming weeks and months will impact us for years. With Nebraska resilience, compassion and optimism, we will make it through this together.

You can be very proud of how our small but mighty team has met this challenge with expertise, dedication and leadership. Each of us is working as a first responder to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of our most vulnerable neighbors during this crisis while refusing to decelerate existing work plans because we mean it when we say it — We the People means all of us.

In just a few short weeks, we have scored key legal and policy victories on voting rights, racial justice, prison reform and reproductive rights. Our caring and creative team also found a way to create joy and light in this dark moment by helping a special couple, Ben and Lucas, celebrate their appropriately social distanced wedding. (Our first office wedding!)

I hope the work highlighted in this newsletter brings you peace of mind about how your support ensures we can protect and defend civil rights and civil liberties for all Nebraskans now and well into the bright, bold future we envision.

These victories belong to all of us in the ACLU family and we treasure your support now when our work is perhaps needed the most.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

Danielle Conrad, J.D.
Executive Director

Return to top.

Lives at Risk

In about one month, state law requires Gov. Ricketts to declare a prison overcrowding emergency. The law is intended to trigger a significant reduction of the number of people packed into state prison facilities – some of which are consistently over 200% of design capacity. We are clear-eyed about what is likely to happen with this impending deadline without a dramatic change in circumstances or sustained public pressure. So far, the only plan officials have floated is to construct a massive, privately constructed prison. We know the state cannot build its way out of this problem. We know that people, not prisons, are the answer.

The health and safety of everyone in our prisons was at risk before COVID-19 as Nebraska remains the second most overcrowded prisons system in the country. Nevertheless, the pandemic escalates concerns and adds a new dimension to our decarceration work.

Public health experts warn that jails and prisons are tinderboxes and the virus is already in Nebraska’s prison system. On May 12, we learned of the first confirmed case among Nebraskans who are incarcerated in our overcrowded prisons. Several staff members have also tested positive. We are hard at work through the courts, individual outreach, records requests, targeted pressure campaigns and a public awareness effort.

We will keep fighting for basic human rights for Nebraskans who are incarcerated — in this pandemic and beyond. We have pending litigation in federal court to address overcrowding and inhumane conditions, including a lack of access to health care and disability accommodations for Nebraskans who are incarcerated.

Return to top.

 

Fighting for Racial Justice Across Nebraska

In our fight for civil rights and civil liberties, we center racial justice and economic equity. COVID-19 put the disparities and injustices we see daily in our work on full display. We are working to make sure those who are most at risk and most harshly impacted get the protections they need.

We’ve called on Nebraska officials to start collecting and sharing COVID-19 infection and mortality rates by race and ethnicity – and to allocate resources to the groups that are hardest hit. We are supporting advocacy in Crete, Grand Island and Lexington to protect workers in the meatpacking industry. We sent guidance to Dakota County, a virus hotspot, where the county sheriff’s 287(g) agreement with ICE has fractured public trust and led to racial profiling.

In addition to our racial justice work during this outbreak, racial justice remains a priority through all our work. Here are just a few recent examples:

• Sen. Ernie Chambers’ bill requiring all law enforcement officers to take anti-bias training every year is in the final stages of becoming state law. The bill is inspired by an ACLU report on racial disparities in traffic stops. It also follows a new ACLU report that shows Black Nebraskans are more than three times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people.
• Hundreds of Nebraskans joined our call for the Nebraska School Activities Association to take action to prevent racist comments and actions at school athletic events.
• We were proud to support the fourth annual Black and Brown Legislative Day, empowering Nebraska’s youth to learn about civic engagement and consider public service opportunities.
• We reached more than 70,000 people with a Spanish-language census video.
• Our legal and policy guidance on educational equity in the pandemic was warmly received by the Nebraska Department of Education. The guidance included specific best practices for students of color, low income students, rural students and students with special learning needs.

Return to top.

Together in Pride, Making History

"[This] would likely not have been possible without the ACLU. Thank you for your help. Thanks for helping her to find some equity in the system.” Not all of our LGBTQ advocacy makes history — but it always makes a difference. This spring, we helped a student who was facing resistance to establishing a Gay Straight Alliance club in her school. Her father sent us the message above.

Nebraska’s motto is Equality Before the Law, but our state nondiscrimination laws need to be updated to ensure our state lives our values.

Dozens of Nebraskans made history this spring in the state’s first organized LGBTQ lobby day. Our friends at OutNebraska provided exemplary leadership for this powerful event and we were proud to support it.

A key point of discussion was LB 627, a bill that would update our existing civil rights laws to ensure protections for LGBTQ Nebraskans, because no one should be fired or denied a job based on who they are or whom they love. The bill is still waiting on a vote. It did not make it to the floor before the legislative session paused due to COVID-19 but it remains prioritized.

The local push comes as our nation awaits a Supreme Court decision on whether existing federal civil rights laws protect LGBTQ people from workplace discrimination. A range of outcomes are possible – making state law clarity, uniformity, and leadership even more important.

We stand with LGBTQ Nebraskans, workers’ advocates and business leaders, including the Lincoln, Norfolk, Omaha and Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, who all agree the time is now to ensure our workplaces are welcoming to everyone.

Return to top.

New Faces

Communications Director Sam Petto joined us in December, bringing a decade of progressive leadership experience in PR and journalism. Legal Director Adam Sipple joined us in January, coming to the ACLU after a distinguished career in private practice.

"The talent, passion, and skill Sam and Adam bring to our work have expanded our impact and reach in a big way over a very short time. Nebraska thought leaders have taken notice in the best way possible. There are no limits to how far our team can soar."

— Danielle Conrad, Executive Director

Return to top.

17 Days*

When it’s deemed safe, the Nebraska Legislature will return to the Capitol with 17 days remaining in this session. This year, we have made encouraging progress advancing a robust legislative agenda in our priority areas.

• VICTORY! In February, Gov. Ricketts signed a historic bill ending juvenile solitary confinement as we know it. This followed a dedicated four-year campaign from our team.
• A bill requiring anti-bias training for law enforcement officers — Sen. Chambers’ last priority bill — is in the final stages of the process with just one vote left.
• A bill banning natural hair discrimination is moving forward. Sen. Cavanaugh’s priority bill would update our nondiscrimination laws to add natural hair textures and styles to the protections under the Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act.

We also plan to continue our fight against bills that threaten civil rights and civil liberties.

• LB 147 would permit more physical restraint in the classroom, which harms children of color and children with disabilities the most.
• While we feel confident this year’s voter ID proposal does not have a path forward, we must remain vigilant. Lawmakers should focus on expanding access — not putting up barriers — to the ballot box.
• Politicians are once again trying to push safe, legal abortion care out of reach. We are fighting an abortion ban that has been prioritized and are gearing up for further attacks on reproductive rights.

*The 17 day calculation was based on math that counted an emergency meeting of the Legislature toward its calendar. Shortly after the newsletter was published, Speaker Scheer announced that the Legislature will reconvene July 20 and wrap up no later than August 13.
 
Return to top.