OMAHA- People entering the Douglas County Courthouse will now notice two monuments commemorating two lynchings that took place between 1891 and 1919.

One historical marker, unveiled in a ceremony, tells the story of the lynching of George Smith by a White mob outside the courthouse in 1891. The marker also relates the context of the killing: From 1865 to 1950, thousands of Black people were victims of racial terror and lynching. The lynchings were “intended to intimidate Black people and enforce racial hierarchy and segregation.”

The other plaque, unveiled last year, memorializes the lynching of Will Brown outside the courthouse in 1919.

The metal plaques bracket the sidewalk leading to the courthouse’s main entrance at 17th and Farnam Streets.

Their prominent placement “speaks to the importance of reconciliation,” said Brenda Council, a former Omaha City Council member and Nebraska state senator, after the Smith marker was unveiled.

“It contains a tragic but real story of the role that racial injustice played in the City of Omaha,” Council said. “It’s a new day, and we need to move forward — not ignore the wounds, but acknowledge them and seek to heal from them.”

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