Horrific Scenes For a Child to See
Back in 1919, Henry and his dad got caught up in something crazy called the Omaha Race Riot. It all started when the local newspapers stirred up a bunch of trouble by reporting an attack on a girl by a black guy. Then, a mob of angry white folks lynched an African American man named Will Brown. Seeing that awful scene really shook Henry to his core. It made him super passionate about fighting against unfairness and racism for the rest of his life.
Years later, he told the BBC about the horrific sight: “I’ll never forget it. A young black guy is hanging lifeless from a rope. It made me sweat and cry just thinking about it.” That messed-up event, along with his strange childhood and other tough stuff he went through, definitely stirred up Henry’s personality, making him a bit of a wild card as he went through life.