BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Melissa wright in north Omaha where small black-owned business owners are getting the chance to express their concerns and challenges to elected officials to figure out a way they can be supported.
North 24th street also known as the jazz district was once a bustling place. Revitalizing this street has been a topic of discussion for neighbors in this area for years.
"Knowing that we exist.. and knowing that we're here to serve the community. So uh, getting the word out on the positive things like the museum instead of the not-so positive things people tend to focus on." Said Ewing.
Eric Ewing the owner of the Great Plains Black History Museum. Has been in this location for almost a decade. He says the future of this area could benefit the museum.
“With us being a nonprofit we show our value by the number of folks that come and see us, the number of folks that we intact with. So the more people we interact with, the more people we get to impact." Said Ewing.
Ewing says in the future they plan to expand the museum.
"With a larger facility we're able to tell a bigger story. We're able to have a larger impact kids K-12 student. I think it's an opportunity for the young folks.. to have an opportunity about the great and rich history that is sometimes not told." Said Ewing.
Just a few blocks down the Styles of Evolution a clothing store neighbors have shopped at for 18 years. Donald McPherson, the owner of the store says there are some challenges being in this area.
“The struggle was real, you know pretty much this was a vacant area, once they start— people was moving out. Then we went to covid, and covid was devastating and we say several business leave the area. But you know we continued to grind.” Said Ewing.
McPherson says he likes having his store in this neighborhood a community he has served for over a decade despite the area having gone through several challenges dating back to the 60's and through the covid pandemic.
"So we do things like that, that we feel that not only show how loyal we are to our community but sometimes it comes back that way." Said McPherson
Both business owners say they miss the traffic that used to flow through north 24th street. They say building this area up and making it appealing could benefit neighbors in the area.
