A hundred years have passed since the brutal murder and burning of William Brown, who was lynched just outside the Douglas County Courthouse in 1919.

Two upcoming events invite the public to reflect upon the centennial, and the broader historical context, motivation and aftermath of Brown’s execution at the hands of a mob that beat him unconscious, hanged him from a lamp post, riddled his body with bullets, burned his corpse and then dragged his remains through city streets in celebration of the crime.

The Douglas County Historical Society and Humanities Nebraska are sponsoring a symposium on the courthouse riot and lynching.

The symposium – titled “Omaha, Nebraska, September 28, 1919: What Really Happened?” – will offer two sessions: Friday, Sept. 27, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., and Monday, Sept. 30, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Both sessions will be held in the legislative chambers of the Omaha-Douglas Civic Center, 1819 Farnam St.

“The symposium will focus on the historical context, motivation, execution and aftermath of the lynching and murder of Mr. William Brown, the attempted murder of Omaha Mayor Ed P. Smith and the burning of the Douglas County Courthouse in 1919,” according to a news release.

Panelists will include:

• Kathy Aultz, executive Director of the Douglas County Historical Society.

• Beaufield Berry, playwright and novelist of “Red Summer.” 

• James Cavanaugh, attorney, Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau historical presenter and Douglas County commissioner.

• Ernie Chambers, state senator and dean of Nebraska Legislature. 

• Barbara Hewins-Maroney, associate professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Public Administration and its Goodrich Scholarship Program. 

• Gary Kastrick, Omaha historian and educator.

• Cynthia Robinson, chair of UNO Black Studies Department.

• Vickie R. Young, president of the Omaha NAACP.

Limited seating is available for the symposium. RSVP for free at douglascohistory.org. 

Additionally, a public ceremony will be held on the anniversary itself – Saturday, Sept. 28 – at the Douglas County Courthouse.

The City of Omaha, Douglas County and the Omaha Community Council for Racial Justice and Reconciliation will put on the event, which starts at 9 a.m. Farnam Street from 17th to 18th Street will be closed for the event beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday.

The event will include music, prayer and the history on Brown’s lynching. Speakers are expected to include Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, Douglas County Chairman Chris Rodgers, Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon.

The community ceremony will also include a soil collection.

“The purpose of the soil collection is to recognize the history of where Mr. Will Brown was lynched and acknowledge the lasting effects of the horrors of racial injustice,” said Young, the Omaha NAACP president. “We believe the DNA from the blood of Will Brown that was spilled upon the ground still lives and breathes in the soil that we will capture during the ceremony. It is our way of touching a small piece of him that remains in posterity.” 

The collected soil will be on display at various Omaha historical sites as well as the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.

“The Will Brown Lynching is a horrific event that haunts the (city),” said Rodgers, the chair of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. “I hope this remembrance ceremony begins a process of atonement that evolves into public policy aimed at reducing and eliminating disparities and inequities. I hope it also raises awareness of the intolerance and racism our nation is facing today.”

No RSVP is necessary for the community ceremony. The public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs because seating will not be provided. Parking is available on a first-come basis at the parking garage at 19th and Harney streets and at nearby parking meters.

In addition, the public can attend the world premiere production of Berry’s “Red Summer” at the Omaha Bluebarn Theatre. The show opens Thursday, Sept. 26, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 20.

“‘Red Summer’ presents an unflinching depiction of a city on the brink of chaos and a compelling portrait of the black migrant experience, each grounded by a deeply affecting vision of Will’s life and relationships before he became a tragic headline,” according to the Bluebarn Theatre.

General admission tickets are $35. For more information on the production, visit bluebarn.org.