Forgotten History: Is it time for a name change?
November 26, 2019
Although everyone knows that our school, Burke High School, was named after Harry A. Burke, many do not know the history of our school and about Harry A. Burke himself. Recently, there has been talk on social media about Burke and its segregated past. It was featured on the North Omaha History Facebook page on Nov. 12 and was shared 437 times. The North Omaha History page labeled it as ‘FORGOTTEN HISTORY”.
“Dr. Harry A. Burke, namesake of Omaha Burke High School, used racism to run Omaha Public Schools from 1946 to 1962,” Herb Rhodes, North Omaha civil rights leader in the 50s and 60s, said in an interview with David Bristow, an official with the Nebraska State historical Society. Burke “proclaimed that as long as he was superintendent, there would not be a black educator in the school system, other than the two schools that served the black community,” Rhodes said. Burke believed in not having any black teachers and was opposed to any situation “where white children would see a black person in a role of prominence or authority.”
I believe that Harry A. Burke was racist based off these allegations. He tried to prevent black educators from the OPS school system and directly targeted their race. He should not be the face of our school and the title of our school because that is saying that we support racism. Even now, 60 years later, our school is still feeling the effects of his leadership, with few African American teachers.
It is important for our students to feel accepted for their race because it is who they are. The fact that our school was named after someone like Harry A. Burke might send the wrong message to Burke students. It could lead them to think that our school supports those opinions and that type of behavior. Changing the name of our school could send a message to students that we are against racism and bullying. I think that it would be a positive change to our school and challenge students to think about what is going on around them and make a difference.
As a solution, our school should be renamed after other historical figures, like one of the Omaha Public Schools first African American teachers, Lucinda Gamble. Gamble was a mother of three children, a dedicated church and community leader throughout North Omaha. Gamble graduated from Omaha High School as one of few African Americans to ever do that. After graduating, although strongly discouraged, she attended Omaha Normal School, Omaha Public Schools own teacher training program, where she then graduated in 1895. She first taught at Dodge High School in 1895, and then transferred to Cass High School when Dodge High closed down in 1898. She taught there until 1901, when she got married because it was a tradition at the time to leave the teaching profession when you got married. In the 1930’s, she continued helping Omaha Public Schools by being an adult education teacher and taught classes at the North Side YWCA until the early 1940s. Lucinda Gamble would be a better representation of our school and its values.
Davis Farley • Jan 7, 2021 at 1:06 pm
I do think Burke needs a name change, I also think one of the two new high schools being built needs a historic omaha African American activist name. I also think Burke should have a name change I really don’t know what would be a good new name but I am not the one who can change it. We also don’t need any more directional names .
Jeff T. Jones • Jun 28, 2020 at 5:27 pm
Burke High School should be renamed Francis Albert Sinatra High School because of huge huge support for equal rights during the 20th century, both verbally and with bold actions ,most people feared taking in his day. Sinatra won a special academy award in 1945 for the film ‘The House I Live In’ , speaking to young people about equality & anti-racism. He toured the country and refused to perform where blacks weren’t allowed for years.
Jim • Jun 27, 2020 at 6:32 pm
Just a suggestion for a name, Jill Garlock. Jill Garlock was teaching at Burke and was killed due to domestic violence (look up history). For myself I wouldn’t mind something different. Why not Gamble & Garlock. I liked the article.
Thanks
Class of “81”
Alisa Sherman • Jun 17, 2020 at 9:33 pm
Perhaps we should rename Burke for the first black educator who ever taught there?
George • Jun 14, 2020 at 7:04 pm
I am not from Omaha. I found out about racism in Omaha by first hand experience.
Black students were not called by name but white students were.
When a black person committed a crime the the newspaper drew a line of information which was everything bad about the black person and the white person in contrast would be a model citizen. I never saw this until I came to Omaha.
The people that I worked with assumed automatically that I lived in north Omaha.
When I drove home past 120 St. and Maple St. I was followed by a police car for months.
I am sure that Omaha practiced racism in schools and Burke was a part of it.
I hope that things will get better but history is a learning curve and perhaps be used to create positive change.
Mark Kovar • Jun 9, 2020 at 12:19 pm
I am all in for changing the name of Harry B Burke High School. Black Lives Matter!!