Omaha – It’s time for a history lesson!

As the nation prepares to celebrate Juneteenth and the 4th of July, there’s another story to be told – a story that only began with the Emancipation Proclamation.

“Moments to Movement – Reflections on the 160 Year History of the Emancipation Proclamation” is on display through the rest of the year at Mama’s Attic in the Center Mall building.

Offered in four parts, Part Two is now on display and features The Reconstruction Period that followed the Civil War.

“There will be changes in the artifacts on display with each exhibit, because we’ve broken it into four parts,” Stennis-Williams said. “There is a lot of history to be shared and learned.”

“There were a total of three proclamations. The third was the Emancipation Proclamation,” she pointed out.

This exhibit makes clear that Juneteenth, while noteworthy, was only one step on the road to equality. Included is Nebraska’s largest collection of Jim Crow memorabilia.

You will learn about The Black Codes that were put in place to address the newly freed population. “Newly freed slaves could be arrested for being idle and then forced to work free for any white person who paid their fine,” Stennis-Williams offered.  “The country was just learning how to interact with the newly freed people.”

The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution had to be passed, and the road to full equality continues.

Two more chapters of the exhibit are to come, but the time to see it is now.

Tours of “Moments to Movement” can be booked through December 31 at Mama’s Attic, Omaha’s Center of African American Arts and Humanities.

It’s a story that needs to be heard, and many have been waiting too long to hear it.

Call LaVon Stennis-Williams to schedule your visit – (402) 740-6034. Mama’s Attic is in Suite 108 of the Center Mall Building at 1941 South 42nd Street.