UNO Chancellor: Every Maverick Has a Seat at the Table Thanks to the UNO 54
Joanne Li, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Photo credit: UNO
By Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA.
Dr. Joanne Li is the Chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha
Here at the heart of the United States, Omaha has grown as a symbol of the incredible things communities can achieve when we all have the same opportunities to use our voice and help our community grow.
At University of Nebraska at Omaha and within the Omaha community, it is crucial that we remember that those opportunities aren’t always given – they are often fought for.
In November 1969, a large group of students known today as the “Omaha 54” organized a sit-in to protest the voicelessness many Black students felt at the university, and to launch a Black Studies program.
Photo credit: UNO Archives
The protests eventually led to the arrest of 54 students. Their sacrifice – along with the public’s increased awareness of this growing need for more inclusive campus program offerings – sparked a shift in campus culture that is part of our identity to this day. In the 50 years that Black Studies has been a part of the campus fabric, our university community has continued to grow in ways true to the spirit of the Omaha 54. It’s a spirit that compels us to ask tough questions, and to question easy answers. It calls us to embrace the kinds of difficult conversations that help us grow stronger as a community.
Every Maverick has a seat at the table
UNO has since expanded in ways that ensure every Maverick has a seat at the table. Since the creation of our Black Studies department, we have expanded to also include the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS), Native American Studies, Women Studies, and many more. That is the nature of the Maverick Spirit: to see what is needed and make purposeful action toward change.
The challenge we face today as Nebraskans and as a nation is that not enough people have the opportunity to grow as individuals and apply their talents to their community.
In Fall 2021, UNO's population of more than 15,000 learners hailed from a variety of cultures, regions, socioeconomic backgrounds, and experiences. More than 40 percent of our students are the first in their families to attend a university and more than 30 percent of our students are PELL grant eligible. Half of UNO students require financial help. We also have the highest percentage of Nebraska Promise eligible students in the Nebraska System.
That is a large population of Mavericks who are ready and eager to give back to the community that invested in them first through their connection with UNO.
And our Mavericks leap at opportunity. In fact, we are proud to see the number of entrepreneurs that are part of our alumni network. Our investment in them has been returned, and they are the proof of UNO’s ability to give back to the work force here in Omaha.
One such example Doris Moore, an alum who founded the Center for Holistic Development, Inc., a non-profit organization that aims to serve the Omaha community by providing behavioral health programs, activities, and resources. This, in turn, allows those her organization serves to give back themselves, extending UNO’s initial investment and resources even further.
Another story is that of Leah Whitney Chavez who founded World Speaks Omaha, a non-profit whose core mission is to give a voice to those who traditionally have been voiceless in the community. Chavez and World Speaks is actively giving back to the development effort by spreading awareness of cultures and bridging language gaps to provide platforms to openly share about experience. This connection makes the entire community stronger and helps us all to grow.
When every community has an opportunity to pursue a high-quality, affordable education, they will have the knowledge and skills to start businesses, rise as leaders in their workplace, and inspire others to pursue their passions. Our hallways are teeming with stories just like this: Mavericks with vision and a desire to serve the community as we all build forward. At UNO, we are a community that embraces and champions tomorrow’s urban leaders.
As our own history has proven, the only way to make sure the future is truly bright is to take the active steps that ensure every voice has an opportunity to be heard, and everyone has a chance to follow their passion.
Just as the Omaha 54 fought for an opportunity for the voiceless to have a seat at the table, we owe it to them to continue that fight by opening more doors and creating more opportunities for the entire Omaha community to receive a transformational education.
