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Omar White was a Black inmate featured in Oz. He was a Story Arc character in Season 4, Season 5 and Season 6. Portrayed by Michael Wright.

Character Summary[]

"Prisoner number 01W711, Omar White. Convicted January 4, 2001 - Murder in the first degree. Sentence: 75 years, up for parole in 20."
The Narrator[src]

He is a drug addict sent to Oz for shooting a witness in his cousin's murder trial to death. He first appears in Part II of Season 4 and seemingly takes over the role of the wayward inmate who Tim McManus attempts to rehabilitate - a role previously held by Miguel Alvarez. Eventually, McManus gives up on Omar and returns to helping Alvarez in Season 5.

At this point, Kareem Said steps in and takes over McManus' role with Omar. Said manages to keep Omar on the straight and narrow path until he discovers that Omar has been secretly dealing drugs on Burr Redding's behalf. After this, Said also gives up on Omar and Omar is sent to solitary and, with no one left to vouch for him, is forced to stay there after the biannual solitary review.

Fortunately for Omar, the cells in solitary are contaminated and he is allowed to live in Emerald City again. He initially agrees to kill his cellmate Lemuel Idzik, seeking to avenge Kareem Said, but when he changes his mind - Idzik murders him instead.

Plot Summary[]

Season 4 Part II[]

OmarOnCamera

Omar being interviewed by the television crew.

White is Oz's newest inmate and is very troublesome upon his arrival. A drug addict, he finds his first drugs from Ryan O'Reily who tells him that the black inmates are currently leaderless. He is also told that he may be able to get a few drugs from O'Reily if he can take care of some business later on. O'Reily then uses White to exact revenge on Jack Eldridge, a reporter who had mocked him and his brother Cyril, by telling him that Eldridge was going to call him a homosexual on television. White gets thrown in solitary and the newscasters must make alternate plans as a result.

McManus then releases White, but puts him back in again after he starts a fight with Latino inmate Carmen Guerra. White has an uneasy time with the Latinos in Emerald City as he often gets into fights with members of "El Norte" trading racial epithets with them. When White is released again (after giving up Busmalis for digging up another tunnel, which he saw the night before he was thrown back in solitary), he tries to become more involved with the other black inmates, who now have a leader named Burr Redding. White stabs McManus to get the respect of his fellow inmates, putting him back in solitary.

OmarAndSupreme

Omar attempting to kill Supreme Allah.

Before going back, White attempts to murder Supreme Allah in the hospital ward at Redding's order after the latter promises him more power among the Homeboys. McManus once again releases White against Warden Glynn's wishes. In drug rehab, White is troublesome, starting fights with various inmates and even being found as unsalvageable to drug counselor Sister Peter Marie. McManus considers him a special project, however, and says that he thinks White will be cured once he is off drugs. White remains drug free for a little while, but then gets into an escalation with the Latinos.

While the inmates are watching "Up Your Ante," Guerra insults McManus and claims that White is his personal sex toy, which starts a fight that kills inmate Pedro Calderon. After a half-hearted argument with Glynn, McManus accepts Glynn's decision to throw him into solitary. When White learns what has happened, he kicks Officer Joseph Mineo in the genitals and beats McManus while handcuffed. McManus realizes that he didn't argue well enough on White's behalf to keep him in Em City, and fights even harder for him, as he feels curing White of his problems will be his greatest accomplishment yet. Glynn also realizes that McManus did not argue well enough on White's behalf as he calmly left the Warden's office when he lost the argument. White nevertheless remains in solitary.

Season 5[]

White is released from solitary when it is discovered that the air ducts need to be cleaned. Glynn then tells all the inmates in solitary that if they behave, they do not have to return. White is thrilled to be back in Em City but still gets into fights, mainly with the Latino inmates, and ends up spending time in the newly constructed cage. Looking to help Muslim inmate Kareem Saïd fight his issues with anger, McManus assigns him to sponsor White, claiming that he can save himself by saving someone else. White has been given a few conditions on this "fourth and long" situation, however, including being sent to mandatory drug rehab and testing sessions and threatened with permanent solitary confinement if he angers Saïd.

Saïd is strict with White, forbidding him to use drugs or talk back. Saïd confronts White next to Poet, a known drug dealer in Em City, telling both of them to avoid each other. The other Muslims object to Saïd helping White, whom they despise. Saïd helps White better himself, he finds out that he likes to sing and sending him to Suzanne Fitzgerald, who teaches a performing arts program. McManus and Saïd, however, notice that White is annoying other inmates and they conclude that White practice in the janitorial closet for one hour a day. Getting the closet privileges gives Redding the idea to move drugs from Em City to Unit C through White and Homeboy Reggie Rawls. The operation is hard for White, who is insistent on staying clean and has trouble fighting his urges to do drugs.

James Robson, an Aryan inmate, then calls White a slave of Saïd's when he picks up his mail. White grows angry, suddenly believing he is nothing more than Saïd's servant and protests his leadership among the Muslims. Saïd beats White to a pulp for slinging drugs. White pleads innocence to McManus, saying he was forced to sell drugs but is currently clean. McManus believes White, and lets him practice outside of the janitor's closet. Through all of this, no one gives up Redding, as White realizes he will die if it happens. After talking with McManus, the Muslims, led by Zahir Arif, threaten White for sending their Imam to the hole. They then call him "toxic" for turning the one person on his side against him. Without Saïd's protection, White is vulnerable to the long list of inmates in Em City who are ready to kill him.

Nervous about performing in front of a crowd, White goes to Poet for some drugs which he ends up not using. Saïd is then released and White comes through the singing program intact, gaining Said and McManus' confidence. All goes well for White until a new inmate, Wolfgang Cutler, vows to join the Aryans by killing White's mentor, Saïd. White attempts to talk Wolfgang out of killing Saïd but Wolfgang refuses to back off calling White an ethnic slur. The two come to blows, and Omar almost kills Wolfgang but revives him to prevent himself from getting a murder charge. Back in Em City, a furious McManus sends White back to solitary for good, against Saïd's objections.

Season 6[]

OmarAndIdzik

Omar meeting with Lemuel Idzik.

At the biannual solitary review, White is denied the chance to return into the general population. However, when the air-ducts in solitary become contaminated, the inmates in solitary get sick and nearly die. White then offers a deal with Warden Glynn that he won't sue if let back into Em City. Glynn not wanting a lawsuit against the prison accepts the deal warning White to never mention the conversation to anyone. Before this happens, however, a reporter named Lemuel Idzik kills Saïd in the visiting room.

Upon reentering Emerald City, McManus furiously tells White that if any harm comes to Idzik, he will be held responsible. White becomes intrigued by Idzik, who, having killed the leader of a major gang, is practically asking to die by coming into Em City. Idzik offers White a chance to kill him, but White, after thinking it over, says no. This was because Omar was studying the universe and its functions, based on his previous conversations with Idzik. Idzik then kills White and gets the death penalty, which is something he wanted all along. However, due his mental problems, Idzik's sentence is overturned. The last shot of Omar's body is seen by McManus, who somehow felt responsible for dismissing Omar's warning that Idzik wanted Omar to kill him in the first place.

Appearances[]

Season 4, Part II

Season 5

Season 6

Kill Count[]

Personal

Appearances[]

Episodes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4a
Season 4b
Season 5
Season 6

Gallery[]

The Others

Tobias Beecher - Chris Keller - Bob Rebadow - Agamemnon Busmalis - Augustus Hill - Omar White - Nikolai Stanislofsky - Yuri Kosygin - Jia Kenmin - Li Chen - Donald Groves - Edward Galson - Ronald Poklewaldt - Glen Shupe - Stanley Bukowski - Ralph Galino - Lemuel Idzik - Guillaume Tarrant - Bruno Goergen - Adam Guenzel - Alexander Vogel - Greg Penders

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