Beatitudes Community

Remembering the 1919 Event

What is a lynching?  By definition, it is a premeditated extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, convicted transgressor, or to intimidate a group.

Unfortunately, lynching has a place in the history of the United States.  An event that took place on September 28, 1919 is one of the darkest times in US history.  Known as the Omaha Courthouse Lynching of 1919, this event was part of the wave of racial and labor violence that swept the United States during the “Red Summer” of 1919.  On that fateful day, Will Brown was accused of raping Agnes Lobeck.  Will was arrested and a mob decided to remove him from the courthouse and lynch him.  The results were devastating. Will lost his life, was never given the opportunity to prove his innocence, there were accounts he had physical disabilities that would have made it impossible for him to overpower anyone in the first place and Agnes could not actually identify him as her attacker.

I found on the website, Black Past, in an article dated January 22, 2017 contributed by Alonzo Smith, “One of the witnesses to the lynching was young future actor, Henry Fonda, who later remembered, “It was the most horrendous sight I’d ever seen.  My hands were wet and there were tears in my eyes. All I could think of was that young black man dangling at the end of a rope.”  This simply hurts my heart to think Will Brown had to go through what he did with no regard and that Agnes’ actual attacker was never confirmed.

This event is being remembered by the Beatitudes Campus Diversity and Inclusion Council because September marks 100 years ago this sad event took place.  We want to honor the memory of Will Brown, continue to work together and to look at each other for what we are– individual people with different and wonderful backgrounds, and to learn from each other, not destroy each other.

To honor and reflect together, the Quiet Room will be available on September 28, 2019.  We encourage you to take some time to reflect, in your own way, on this anniversary about how each of us can work towards a more just and peaceful world. Oh what a world it will be! 

Also, we would welcome new insight to our Beatitudes Campus Diversity and Inclusion Council!  If you are interested in learning more about our Council, please feel free to contact:

Rev Peggy Roberts—Sr. VP of Spiritual Life, 602-995-6109

Michael Smallwood—Fitness Specialist, 602-335-8482

Barb Williams—Director of Human Resources, 602-995-6114

Author Info: Michael Smallwood
Fitness Specialist at Beatitudes Campus

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