“After the Civil War, the first priority for newly freed African Americans was to find their families and to strengthen those bonds,” Howard said. “If we think of the broadest sense of homecoming, it is reconnecting with people and places.” 

Back in Omaha, the story goes that Johnson and McDonald were so disappointed by what they experienced in Altadena that they resolved to organize one in their hometown. 

To solicit support, they formed the Native Omahans Club. The club remains the driving force behind Omaha Days to this day, with the Native Omaha Days Organizing Committee providing some assistance.

The first Omaha Days in 1977 was, by many accounts, a resounding success. An estimated 2,000 ex-Omahans returned for the festivities, including a Sunday picnic that drew some 10,000 people to N.P. Dodge Park, the Omaha Star reported.

The Star described the event as a “festive, nostalgic, beautiful and happy occasion,” and it quoted one attendee from California who said it was “the old Sunday School, Picnic, Omaha Day in Los Angeles and Juneteenth all wrapped into one.” 

The sense of togetherness has continued over the decades.

“It’s a living reunion not just of people, but of identity,” said Omahan Makayla McMorris. “Neighbors who haven’t spoken in years strike up conversations like no time has passed. Young folks hear old stories. Strangers become kin through shared memories. It’s a rare, sacred kind of unity.”