Omaha Abolition Research

06/27/2022

A talk on police brutality in Omaha is happening this Thursday, June 30 at 7-8pm with MORE (Movement in Omaha for Racial Equity) in conversation with Omaha historian Adam Fletcher Sasse.

By MORE: Movement in Omaha for Racial Equity

06/25/2022

We’d like to send our apologies to the OAR Book Club Members. Unexpected technical difficulties forced us to postpone the meeting. We will be meeting next Saturday (July 2nd) to discuss the first two sections of Soledad Brother. We’ll be covering the foreword through page 67.

05/29/2022

We’re reading ‘Soledad Brother’ by George Jackson as our next Book Club book! Our first discussion will be on June 25th, our last on August 13th. Join us via Zoom for any of these discussions by signing up to join the Book Club. Sign up for the book club here! https://t.co/guuCEwHYTJ?amp=1

You can pick up this book at your local library or order it through AK press or find a free online copy of the book available here: https://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/soledadbro.html

11/18/2021

Just a reminder - everyone is invited to the Feed the People - Omaha chili cook off! Come check it out on Saturday.

Feed the People invites all community members to our yearly chili cook off! Next Saturday, November 20, 2021, we will be at inCOMMON 1340 Park Ave from 5 pm-7 pm serving up some chili. We request a $5 donation or a donation of diapers to participate in eating and voting on who's chili is the best!

We welcome anyone to join the competition, just donate $5 to our PayPal and shoot us a message on Facebook or Instagram. We request anyone serving chili bring their own warming device (crock pot, tabletop burner, etc) and serving utensils. Bowls, silverware, napkins, and beverages will be provided.

First place chili will receive an exciting prize! Bring your kiddos, friends, and family and help us raise funds to continue feeding the people of Omaha.

10/21/2021

In case you missed it, the AP has released the results of an important investigation.

Tiny wrists in cuffs: How police use force against children

An AP investigation has found that children as young as 6 have been treated harshly — even brutally — by officers of the law across the country. Read the AP

10/20/2021

What book should we read next in our book club?

08/13/2021

78 people testified in opposition to the proposed 2022 budget at the public hearing last week. Most of the opponents urged the City Council to move funds from the Omaha Police Department budget to other safety initiatives such as a mental health crisis response program separate from police, an unarmed traffic enforcement division separate from police, and housing and food programs to support residents during the pandemic.

Several council members offered amendments to the proposed city budget this week. None of them involve police divestment or reallocating the $5.3 million police budget increase to alternative safety initiatives. City Council and the mayor gave the public one opportunity to give input on the budget, and did not consider much of that input in their amendments.

You can still call or email your City Council representative to let them know how you feel about these amendments before the final vote. Here are the important dates:

August 17 - City Council votes to approve the budget
August 24 - City Council will consider any amendments that may be vetoed by the mayor
August 31 - City Council votes to finalize the budget



ID: A headline in white text on a black background reads “78 people testified in opposition to the proposed 2022 budget.” Another headline below in red text on a white background reads “Omaha City Council didn’t listen.”

07/31/2021

The Omaha Police Department budget went from about $78 million to $164 million between 2004 and 2019. This represents a 111% increase in the police budget over 15 years, 56% when adjusted for inflation.

Let City Council and Mayor Stothert know what you think at the City Council public hearing on the budget this Tuesday, August 3 at 6:00 PM.

07/30/2021

We give the Omaha Police too much money (and we keep giving them more).

The next city budget will be approved this summer, and it’s time to stop wasting money on things that don’t work. Especially when we could be spending our tax dollars on things like mental health care, reliable infrastructure, transportation, housing programs, parks, and libraries.

Make your voice heard on August 3rd at City Hall! 📣