DePorres Club & Desegregation and Discrimination in Education

The DePorres club saw education as an important space for integration and advancement, so they focused on pushing for desegregation for teachers and students in Omaha schools, both public and private (Catholic schools). As in most places across the nation, especially before Brown vs. Board of Education (1954),  Black students and teachers were often not allowed to attend or work at white schools. Even if the students and teachers were admitted, they often faced other forms of discrimination. Black teachers were often met with abusive language, name-calling, and even physical violence (Markoe Papers, B10, F7). Black students who were accepted into white schools were often not welcome to join after school clubs and activities. Central High School in Omaha even put on a play called The Roadshow in which there were blackface acts. The DePorres Club wrote multiple letters to the Omaha Board of Education, and they were able to convince the school to avoid putting on a performance with blackface acts (Holland 15). This is one of the many examples of the DePorres Club’s accomplishments. Until the club disbanded, its members continued to fight for desegregation and against discrimination in the Omaha public and private schools.  (Holland, 2014)