The Omaha City Council held a meeting Tuesday where two resolutions regarding race were discussed.

Omaha City Council discusses racism, affirmative action at Tuesday meeting

AND GENTLEMEN, WEARE GOING TO HAVE ACONVERSATION ABOUTRACISM."IT WAS A FIRST OF ITSKIND PUBLIC FORUM ASCITIZENS DISCUSSEDRACIAL ISSUES AT THEOMAHA CITY COUNCILMEETING.141109 "THIS IS AN ISSUETHAT'S BEEN GOING ONFOR YEARS, AND WHENARE WE REALLY GOINGTO TAKE IT SERIOUSCOUNCILMEN PETEFESTERSONINTRODUCED ARESOLUTION TODEVELOP ACTION STEPSTACKLING RACISM,INEQUALITY,COMMUNITY-POLICERELATIONS, ANDECONOMIC DISPARITIES.DOZENS SHAREDINJUSTICES THEY'VEFACED.233413 "WHILE IAPPRECIATE THE OMAHAPOLICE DEPATMENT-- IFEEL THAT A SYSTEMATICCHANGE IS OVERDUE.I BELIVE THAT THIS ISPOSSIBLE THROUGHMORE EDUCATION ANDTRAINING SPECIFICALLYIN PSYCHOLOGY ANDDISMANTLING RACIALBIAS."JASMINE HARRIS SAYSCITY LEADERS MUST NOTONLY LISTEN ...BUT BE WILLING TO DOTHE WORK.011702 "REACH OUT TOUS TO ATTENDMEANINGFUL, STRATEGICPLANNING MEETINGSTHAT WILL RESULT INACTION STEPS ...THANK YOU FOR THISPLATFORM BUT LET'S DOTHIS IN A SETTINGWHERE ACTION VERSUSTIME LIMITEDCONVERSATIONS ARETHE END GOAL."THE CONVERSATIONDIDN'T END THEIR.COUNCILMEN BEN GRAYINTRODUCED ARESOLUTION ASKING THECOUNCIL TO URGENEBRASKA LAWMAKERS,TO PUT AFFIRMATIVEACTION ON THE BALLOT.THE STATE BANNED IT IN2008.031605 "I'M HERE TOSUPPORT THERESOLUTION TO REPEALTHE BAN ON AFFIRMATIVEACTION BECAUSETHERE'S A VERY STRONGPOSSIBLITY THAT IWOULD NOT HAVE EVENBEEN HIRED AS A POLICEOFFICER IF NOT FOR ANAFFIRMATIVE ACTION."SHEENA GLOVER ALSOSPOKE ...SHE'S THE FOURTHBLACK WOMAN IN THEHISTORY OF THE OMAHAFIRE DEPARTMENT.184813 "THE FIREDEPARTMENT AS WEKNOW WAS ESTABLISHEDIN 1860 AND I AM ONE OFTWO BLACK FEMALESCURRENTLY STANDING ..I WAS TOLD BY A FIRECAPTIAIN ONCE EARLY INMY CAREER THATBECAUSE I WAS BLACK IWOULD HAVE TO WORK10 TIMES HARDER THANEVERYONE ELSE AND ISTILL WOULND'T BE ONTHE SAME PLAYINGFIELD."FOR MANY IN THE OLDERGENERATION ...IT'S A DISCUSSION THAT'SALL TOO FAMILIAR.285406 "I NEED YOU TOKNOW THAT I'M TIRED OFSTANDING BEFOREBOARDS ANDCOMMISSIONS ANDPEOPLE TALKING ABOUTTHE SAME THINGS OVERAND OVER."PRESTONLOVE 025322 "WE HAVETO UNDERSTAND THATWE HAVE AN OBLIGATIONTO EACH OTHER ...TO CORRECT THEWRONGS THAT HAVEBEEN DONE IN THISCOMMUNITY FORCENTURIES."COUNCILMEMBERFESTERSON'SRESOLUTION PASSEDUNANIMOUSLY.COUCILMEMBER GRAY'SRESOLUTION FORAFFIRMATIVE ACTIONPASSED 5-1 ...COUNCILMEMBERHARDING VOTEDAGAINST IT.THE OMAHA CITYCOUNCIL APP