Denver Urban Spectrum May 2019

Volume 33

Number 2

May 2019

Celebrating

the Spirit of Mothers

Denver Delta Sigma Theta Alumnae

Celebrating 80 Years of Excellence: Service, Scholarships and Sisterhood…4

NASA Director Vanessa Wyche: Inspired to Inspire Youth …7 .................

A Message For Mothers: Hope, Resilience and Survival…11 ................

Dr. Justina Ford: Mother of All Mothers…12

MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER

Volume 33 Number 2

May 2019

PUBLISHER Rosalind J. Harris GENERAL MANAGER Lawrence A. James EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT Alfonzo Porter PUBLISHER ASSISTANT Melovy Melvin COPY EDITOR Ruby Jones COLUMNISTS Kim Farmer FILM CRITIC BlackFlix.Com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ruby Jones Alfonzo Porter Thomas Holt Russell Jamil Shabazz Laurence C. Washington ART DIRECTOR Bee Harris GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jody Gilbert - Kolor Graphix PHOTOGRAPHERS Lens of Ansar Bernard Grant

Mother’s Day will be here soon. For many, that day can be painful, sad and uncomfortable. For those of you who still have a Mother, don’t take that blessing for granted. I lost my mother 10 years ago and it is still “all of the aforementioned” but for me, it is also pleasant, cheerful and comfortable. She may be absent from the body and present with the Lord; but her spirit still lives in my heart.

This month Denver Urban Spectrum celebrate mothers; aka women.

Charles Emmons talks about three women who got together over coffee in 1939 and decided to fill the need to bring hope to disenfranchised communities. For the next 80 years, 32 women have continued those efforts and the Denver Delta Sigma Theta Alumnae will celebrate the power of sisterhood, scholarship and service with their 80th anniversary celebration, The Power of Red. Although never a mother, Dr. Justina Ford, also known as the Lady Doctor, is credited for helping thousands of mothers. Thomas Holt Russell shares how and why she brought more than 7,000 babies into the world – many who stil live in Denver and can attest to that fact.

Losing a mother can be painful but losing a child is agonizing and unfathomable. Executive Consultant and journalism professor Alfonzo Porter looks at the grim and glaring somewhat growing epidemic, and number of African American children who are compelled to take their own lives across the country. Read about a program in the works to address this issue and see how you can become involved.

In our 4th part of Our 400 Year Sojourn – 1619-2019, Laurence Washington takes us on the journey from the mid1950s to 1960s with “When Giants Walked the Earth.” Many of those giants were women, and mothers. Read and see how Shirley Chisholm, Rosa Parks, Marian Anderson, Miss (Autherine) Lucy, Coretta Scott King, Little Rock Nine, Claudia McNeil, Lorraine Hansberry, Eartha Kitt and others impacted this important era for African Americans.

This month, we dedicate this issue to three women. I didn’t know Tammy Garrett-Williams well and did not realize her impact in the community until after her passing. But she was recently honored as a Denver Urban Spectrum African American Who Makes A Difference. The DUS family was also saddened to hear about passing of Frances Jefferson, who is also a Delta. I remember first meeting and working with her alongside the late Oleta Crain many years ago. And, I would be remiss not to remember and give praise and honor to my mother, Ruth Boyd, whom I know very well.

As you read and learn about these mothers (and women) remember that a mother is definitely one who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take. But remember also, that the Mother is the one who is still there, when everyone else has deserted you. Respect her, honor her, cherish her – but most of all, love her.

This Mother’s Day…do something with or for your Mother. Enjoy and Happy Mother’s Day.

DISTRIBUTION Ed Lynch Lawrence A. James - Manager

Rosalind J. Harris Publisher

MSU Intern Angela Cho

2019 Member The Denver Urban Spectrum is a monthly publication dedicated to spreading the news about people of color. Contents of the Denver Urban Spectrum are copyright 2019 by Bizzy Bee Enterprise. No portion may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

The Denver Urban Spectrum circulates 25,000 copies throughout Colorado. The Denver Urban Spectrum welcomes all letters, but reserves the right to edit for space, libelous material, grammar, and length. All letters must include name, address, and phone number. We will withhold author’s name on request. Unsolicited articles are accepted without guarantee of publication or payment.

Write to the Denver Urban Spectrum at P.O. Box 31001, Aurora, CO 80041.

For advertising, subscriptions, or other information, call 303-292-6446 or fax 303292-6543 or visit the Web site at www.denverurbanspectrum.com.

PICTURED ON THE COVER

Chapter Presidents, Beta Phi/Denver Alumnae, 1939 - 2019 Row 1 - Beverly Biffle, Cloteal Jernigan, Djuana Harvell, Elaine Jenkins, Linda Bates Leali; Row 2 - Erma Ford, Esther Nelson, Frances Jefferson, Jacqueline Nixon-Love Sample, Lisa Neal Graves; Row 3 - Jeneva McQueary, Jennie Woodson, Janell Lindsey, Joyce Walker, Joyce Pleasants Harris; Row 4 - Lela Shanks; Row 5 - Lorene McConnell Peters; Row 6 - Mae Adams. Luella Flanigan, Marcia Williams, Margaret King, Marian Morrison Bailey; Row 7 - Michelle Bruton Brown, Michelle Simmons, Olivia Hudson Smith, Patricia Brown-Paytee, Pauline Robinson; Row 8 - Rachel B. Noel, Rosalie Martin, Valencia Faye Tate, Yvonne Parker, Rachel Walters Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – May 2019

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Denver Urban Spectrum Department E-mail Addresses Denver Urban Spectrum DenverUrbanSpectrum@urbanspectrum.net Publisher Publisher@urbanspectrum.net Editor Editor@urbanspectrum.net News & Information News@urbanspectrum.net Advertising & Marketing Advertising@urbanspectrum.net

Power of Red

Denver Delta Sigma Theta Alumnae 80th Anniversary Presents Decades of Scholarship and Style

By Charles Emmons

Founding Charter Members: Mae Adams, Jessie Whaley Maxwell, Elaine Brown

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dams, Maxwell, King, McCloud, Noel, Robinson, Webb, Flanigan, and Biffle; these names are affixed to buildings throughout the city, posted in memorandum, and recorded in the annals of Denver’s beloved schools. They are the familiar names of pioneers, leaders and influencers who have touched countless lives in the community. They belong to women who have contributed to a legacy of excellence, championing improvements that have been embedded in our collective consciousness. What do these women have in common? They represent several generations of members of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., a sorority dedicated to public service and programs targeting the African American community.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was founded in 1913 by a group of esteemed Black women at Howard University.

The organization, steeped in sisterhood and intent on improving the community, was created at a difficult time in United States history. The Reconstruction Era had run its unsuccessful course, and with few rights and no political power, Jim Crow laws ruled the day and plunged the African American community into poverty and hopelessness. Denver experienced a rise in Ku Klux

Klan marches and rallies in the 1920s, yet the national founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. showed fortitude and purpose, branching out across the country to bring hope to disenfranchised communities.

In 1939, two of the charter members, Mae Adams, a graduate of West Virginia State University and Ohio State University, and Jessie Whaley Maxwell, a graduate of Bishop College, met with Elaine Brown Jenkins over coffee. They discussed the city’s new chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and determined that there was a need for a Delta Sigma Theta chapter. On Saturday, February 18, 1939, Beta Phi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was established in Denver by the Grand Chapter Secretary with the following members: Mae Thomas Adams, Elaine Brown Jenkins, Jessie Whaley Maxwell, and Neophytes Kathryn Cohron, Eleanor Critz, Ruby Cohron Wright, Claudine McCloud and Marian Morrison Robinson Bailey. The current president is Michelle Simmons. It is fitting that these resilient women are recognized during the month of May, when mothers everywhere are celebrated for their service and sacrifice.

In existence for more than 100 years, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. gives women around the world opportunities to work together in the name of scholarship, public service, and sisterhood. Service and excellence are in the DNA of Delta

Sigma Theta sisters, and membership thrives as women are drawn to the organization’s reputation for academic and community advancement. On May 19, the Denver Alumnae Chapter will host a fashion show, scholarship award ceremony, and 80-year celebration at the “Power of Red” luncheon, showcasing “Decades of Scholarship and Style.”

Djuana Harvell, chair of the 80th anniversary celebration, received her first introduction to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., at a cotillion event in Miami, Florida, where she received a scholarship. “I attended Clark Atlanta University, where the Deltas were very active on campus. I continued to be exposed to women in leadership roles who were committed to service, and it just inspired me to be better, to do better.” Harvell remembers learning about affiliations with the sorority through members of her family. She participated in activities on campus to learn more about the Deltas before deciding to become a member, “I became interested in the mission, which is an organization of college educated women committed to the development of its members, as well as committed to public service, primarily to the African American community.” After graduating from Clark Atlanta University, Harvell pursued a PhD in Nebraska before moving to Denver and becoming a

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member of the Denver Alumnae Chapter, where she served as chapter president from 2012 to 2016.

Many of the women in the Denver Alumnae Chapter migrated to Colorado from other states and found a welcoming environment that advocated sisterhood. This closeness began as a necessity during several racially oppressive time periods, and continues as a benefit of membership. The earliest members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. were women who attended barely integrated colleges, and there was limited availability of African American sororities and fraternities, making membership all the more special.

Linda Bates Leali, former principal of Denver’s historic Manual High School, became the youngest Denver Alumnae Chapter president at age 27.

Her chosen field was education, but she was familiar with the sorority from her upbringing in Paris, Texas. Leali’s mother, a Delta, brought her along to homecoming at her alma mater, Wiley College, introducing her to a legacy of excellence from an early age. “She would show me some of the objects and the activities. She wouldn’t talk a whole lot about it, but I was just inspired to become a Delta because she was a Delta and I was comfortable around the Deltas there at Wiley College,” she recalls.

Leali attended the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, where integration was making a slow start and there were no African American fra-

ternities or sororities. In 1967, she moved with her family to Denver, and enrolled in the University of Colorado at Boulder. At the time, most Delta Sigma Theta Sorority activities occurred in Denver in a mixed collegiate alumna chapter, but that didn’t deter Leali, who jumped at the opportunity to get involved. “I was inspired because I knew it was a historically predominantly Black sorority. I had heard of the others. But to me there was nothing other than Delta, because my mother was a Delta,” says Leali, who commuted between the cities while pledging in 1968.Then in May of 1969, Leali was joined by Ida Seymour Daniel, Dorothy KingStockton, Constance Brown and Patricia Hoffman Westerman as collegiate members added to the 16 new Initiates of the newly chartered Zeta Pi CityWide chapter their 50th year this May. Denver’s 80-year old chapter has sustained its service-based efforts by following the sorority’s 5-Point programmatic thrust, with attention to 1) economic development, 2) educational development, 3) international awareness and involvement, 4) physical and mental health, and 5) political awareness and involvement.

Dorothy King-Stockton, an original Beta Phi line sister, was drawn to the community oriented organization because it would allow her to get involved in the city of Denver as well as on the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus. “It was a time when the Black Power movement was so strong,” says King-Stockton, who felt that the sorority was aligned with her purpose, “I was president of the Youth NAACP at home, and co-director of the Educational Opportunity Program on campus.”

The former Beta Phi mixed chapter was re-chartered in

1969 as the Denver Alumnae (for graduates) and Zeta Pi Chapters (for collegiates), and it continued offering opportunities for Black women to network and find ways to make a difference in the community. Of note is the mother of KingStockton, Dorothy King, Sr., who established Personal Services, Inc., an ironing center in the City Park West neighborhood that provided employment for women. Delta Sigma

Theta Sorority, Inc. sponsored a clothing bank near the center, which offered professional wardrobes for those entering the job market in conjunction with King Sr.’s work. The project gained national recognition and an award during the Carter administration.

Throughout the 1970s, the chapter continued to grow and meetings moved from members’ homes to Liggins Towers in Park Hill. In August

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1977, Denver Deltas hosted more than 5,000 Deltas and their families at the 34th National Convention of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., with support from local businesses and city officials. The event’s signature gala was held at the Denver Merchandise Mart and Delta member and recording artist, the late great Natalie Cole, was the headlining entertainment.

Continued on page 6

Denver Deltas Continued from page 5 In 1988, the Honorable Wilma J. Webb, Denver’s former First Lady, became an honorary Delta member on the organization’s 75th anniversary. “Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., best defined itself and its history and actions on dignity, humaneness, and laughter, most consistently with the values and standards for which I believed in and have lived throughout my life.”

Webb praises the organization, saying, “I owe a lifetime debt of gratitude to all the members of our sisterhood, past, present, and future, for the influence Delta has had on me. I am especially thankful to Sorors Rosalie Martin and Frances Jefferson, both deceased, and Margaret King, who all three of them considered me to be worthy of their adoption into our sorority.”

Another very active Delta member is retired politician and political figure the Honorable Gloria Tanner. In 1994 she became the first African American woman to serve as a Colorado state senator. In 2000 she founded a leadership and training institute for black women in Colorado. She was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2002.

Over time, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has continued to build bridges between the community and practical resources. Their premiere events are known for spotlighting the beauty and brilliance of members and their families, with galas and cotillions that allow attendees to dress up and celebrate the opportunity to raise funds for scholars and academic leaders.

Harvell and others have remained active in Delta Sigma Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – May 2019

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Theta Sorority, Inc., due to the hardened commitment to public service; a commitment that has taken precedence over more frivolous social activities over the last century. From 1971 to 1975, the sorority’s national president, Lillian Benbow, proposed, “Let’s stop the dance,” prompting members to take community service seriously and inspiring women like Leali to prioritize the purpose of membership. “It’s not just a social thing for us,” says Leali, “We socialize; we fellowship; but that is not our primary purpose. Our purpose is to serve.”

She points out that collective action helps Deltas make significant accomplishments.

Delta women recognize the need that exists in communities across the country, and know that there is still much to be done. They see their role as community leaders as active and relevant. “It was hard to separate responsibilities as a student, a worker, and a Delta; but the times lent themselves to participating when and wherever I could,” says King-Stockton, who realized that some of her Denver Public Schools teachers were Deltas when she joined the organization. With experience in every sector in Denver’s communities, Deltas have had a large influence on the city’s social progress and they continue to welcome women who want to serve.

When asked if Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and other African American fraternities and sororities are still relevant, Harvell addresses the ongoing need for community service and engagement. “If not us, then who?” she says. “There continues to be work to be done. If young women are about service and giving back to the community, we want to encourage that and let them know they can be a part of our organization to do greater things. But if they are not in that space, we try to educate them on the importance Continued on page 28

Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists Presents Building A Green Future NASA’s Vanessa Wyche to Deliver Keynote Address at 38th Annual CAPBES Banquet “There is no shortcut to achievement. Life requires thorough preparation - veneer isn’t worth anything.”

— George Washington Carver

By Jamil Shabazz

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eputy Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center Vanessa Wyche will encourage and inspire STEM standouts as the keynote speaker at the Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists’ (CABPES) 38th annual Student Awards Banquet, Building a Green Future, on May 11 at Wings over the Rockies.

CABPES, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to encouraging African-Americans and other underrepresented youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The banquet will celebrate the students in CABPES after school engineering program Junior Engineers Tomorrow’s Scientists (JETS) and will showcase the hands-on projects that the STEM driven students have completed.

This will be a landmark event for CABPES with the special guest Vanessa Wyche who

is a native of South Carolina and an alumna of Clemson University; holding both a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Master of Science in Bioengineering. This year will be Wyche’s 30th year at NASA, a government organization where she began her career as a project engineer and has continued to her becoming the deputy director of the Johnson Space Center, a position she has held since 2018.

“Starting out [at NASA], I learned as much as I could, as quickly as I could, and I received a lot of very great projects to work on; some of them were things that flew on the Space Shuttle early in the nineties,” Wyche said. “I was, and I am still willing to reinvent myself personally and professionally. With the speed that technology evolves, you have to adapt. When I started, we were working on Apple computers, the very first generation of Apple computers – nothing like the iMac’s people use today. I just kept the mindset of learning, growing and working hard every step of the journey.”

For Wyche, the journey was paved on an ethic of hard work.

As a young girl, she and her siblings spent a great deal of time harvesting crops, and learning about the land and soil on her grandfather’s farm in South Carolina. Her inquisitive mind would lead her to continue to experiment with things in nature. Eventually her intrigue with chemistry and agriculture would lead her to pursue a degree in engineering.

Because of her life experiences Wyche is a passionate promoter and advocate of STEM and

throughout her career at NASA, she has supported numerous STEM-outreach activities in the community.

Colorado boasts the most per capita listings of STEM jobs in the nation and the second highest openings of entry-level STEM jobs. However, as STEM careers continue to thrive, research shows that there are not enough youth of color pursuing STEM activities or degrees in school, especially girls of color. Along with CABPES, there are several organizations in the Denver metropolitan area looking to change that dynamic, such as The Girls Science Technology Engineering and Math (GSTEM) Program at Laredo Middle School. Math teacher Alisa Thomas started the program in 2016 to introduce middle school African-American girls to careers and professions in STEM. Additionally, there are the nonprofits Girls in STEM Denver and Colorado Succeeds, both organizations make it a priority to increase young female participation in STEM activities.

Dewey F. Brigham, Jr., CABPES president and executive director, believes that Wyche’s visit and keynote speech will have a substantive impact on young girls of color.

“Research acknowledges that students perform better when they have mentors and role models that share similar backgrounds. Deputy Director Wyche will have a positive impact on our students and

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especially young ladies because they will be able to see and listen to someone that can relate to. Having mentors and role models that understand what you are going through enhances one’s self-efficacy,” said Brigham.

NASA will put the concept of team-efficacy on full display this year as The National Aeronautics and Space Administration will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11— the spaceflight that landed the first two people on the Moon. Also in 2019 for the first time since 2011, NASA will send astronauts to space from American soil, as part of their Commercial Crew Program.

The hub for the Commercial Crew Program is the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. “We have a busy year at NASA, with Commercial Crew and the SLS, the Orion spacecraft which is being built by Lockheed Martin; a company headquartered Colorado. There are a lot of connections between what’s going on at Johnson and what’s going on in Colorado.

That is one of the reasons that I’m very excited to come and speak at the CABPES banquet.

I’ll get a chance to talk to some of the young men and women that will be innovating and leading our future,” the Deputy Director said with excitement when talking about the upcoming milestones..

Editor’s note: Registration deadline to purchase tickets for CABPES banquet is May 3. For more information, visit CABPES.org.

Mid 1950s to 1960s When Giants Walked the Earth Part 4 of 5

By Laurence Washington

Every now and then,

larger than life figures appear and change the course of world events. Which poses the question: “Do the times make the man, or does the man make the times?”

The best possible answer to that question is probably, “Yes,” when referring to the 1950’s and the 1960s. Those decades formed a perfect storm where people and events converged, causing a social tsunami.

The late 50s and the 60s were the decades of passion, confusion and commitment that ushered in generational giants, such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali, Thurgood Marshall, Shirley Chisholm, Malcom X and others who impacted everything from music, entertainment, sports, fashion and politics.

Nowhere can this phenomenon be more felt than in the Civil Rights Movement, which gained traction during that period, and was punctuated by key moments….

1954: In The Headlines: Brown vs. Board of Education In a lawsuit filed by the Brown family of Topeka,

Blacks to sit in the back of the bus. A federal court rules that the University of Alabama must accept Autherine Lucy the school’s first Black student. School officials are instructed to provide Miss Lucy with adequate protection.

Sports: Heavy weight fighter Floyd Patterson, 21, becomes the youngest world heavy weight champion after defeating Archie Moore.

Kansas after their daughter was denied admission to their local public school, the U.S. Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Earl Warren declared unanimously that segregation in U.S. public schools was illegal.

1955: In The Headlines: Teenager Emmett Till Murdered Emmett Till, 14, accused of offending a white woman, was kidnapped and lynched in Money, Mississippi, spurring reform in the South.

Montgomery, Alabama’s Rosa Parks moves from obscure seamstress into legendary Civil Rights icon after refusing to relinquish her seat on the bus for a white man. The Montgomery Boycott begins under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Entertainment: Marian Anderson becomes the first Black singer to perform at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House.

Deaths: Bebop jazz musician Charlie Parker dies.

1957: In The Headlines: Civil Rights Act Becomes the Law of the Land President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Eisenhower orders armed federal troops to escort nine Black students (Little Rock Nine) into an all white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas.

1959: In The Headlines: Mississippi Lynching Attracts National Attention Accused of raping a white pregnant woman, Mack Charles Parker is lynched in Mississippi, spawning a national outcry.

Business Entertainment: Detroit autoworker Berry Gordy founds Motown Records.

1956: In The Headlines: Supreme Court Rule Busses Can No Longer Require Blacks to Ride in the Back Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King is found guilty of orchestrating the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott. The U.S. Supreme Court rules that bus companies in the South can no longer force

1960: In The Headlines: Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Founded Lunch counter sit-in protest by blacks throughout the South aimed at Blacks being able to be

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served at lunch counters gains traction. Hundreds of Black students gather on the steps of the former Confederate building in Montgomery, Alabama to protest segregation. Biloxi, Mississippi experiences the worst race riot in the state’s history resulting in eight Blacks and two whites being shot.

Martin Luther King Jr. is sentenced to four months in prison for leading sit-ins.

Robert Kennedy calls Coretta Scott King to discuss King’s imprisonment. Kennedy then calls both the governor of Georgia and the judge in the case.

King is released the next day.

Sports: Cassius Clay was among seven American Black athletes winning medals at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Deaths: Exiled American writer Richard Wright (“Native Son”), 52, dies in Paris.

1961: In The Headlines: Freedom Rides Begin Freedom Riders testing segregation in Montgomery, Alabama are beaten. Robert Kennedy orders federal marshals to protect citizens attending a church meeting where Martin Luther King is speaking.

Books: Author James Baldwin’s “Nobody Knows My Name is published.

Music: Singer Chubby Checker introduces American teens to the twist.

Film: The film version of A Raisin in the Sun opens March 9 starring Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil and Ruby Dee. 1962: In The Headlines: Ole Miss. Admits First Black Student Albany, Georgia city officials released Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy after two weeks in jail after charging them with leading anti-segregationist to the steps of City Hall.

King and Abernathy’s release avoided a scheduled mass demonstration. President John F. Kennedy federalizes Mississippi National Guard and orders the state to yield on integration.

The University of Mississippi agrees to admit James Meredith, the first Black student to attend Ole Miss as massive riots erupt.

Sports: Basketball star Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points.

Sonny Liston defeats heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson in two minutes in the first round.

1963: In The Headlines: The Kennedy’s and Wallace Lock Horns Over Integration Segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy enter a political showdown over school desegregation. Kennedy tries to convince Wallace to abide by federal integration orders.

President John F. Kennedy sends in

federal troops to the racially divided area. In a televised broadcast, President Kennedy addresses the nation on civil rights and asks congress to enact legislation giving all Americans the right to be served in all facilities that are open to the public.

Malcolm X criticizes the Kennedy administration for its inaction and its condemnation of Black Muslims.

Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers is assassinated by a sniper in front of his home in Jackson, Mississippi.

Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech in front of a multitude of peaceful demonstrators at Washington’s Lincoln Memorial demanding the passage of civil rights legislation. The bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama takes the lives of four Black girls igniting racial rioting resulting in the death of two Black youths.

Deaths: Fulfilling his final wish, civil rights activist and author W.E.B. DuBois laid to rest in Ghana, West Africa. President John F. Kennedy is assassinated while riding in a motorcade through downtown Dallas.

Sonny Liston dubbed the fourth greatest moment in sports history by Sports Illustrated. Clay would change his name a month later to Muhammad Ali. Malcolm X breaks with legendary Black Muslims leader Elijah Muhammad.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy lead 25,000 civil rights demonstrators on a 50-mile walk for freedom from Selma, Alabama to the state capitol in Montgomery.

Three Civil Rights activists go missing in Mississippi, prompting the arrest of 21 men including a sheriff and his deputy for their murder.

Film: Actor Sidney Poitier becomes the first Black actor to receive an Oscar for Best Actor and Golden Globe for Lilies of the Field.

Music: Berry Gordy corrals many of the great soul groups and singers including The Supremes, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye all under the Motown umbrella.

1964: In The Headlines: King Garners Peace Prize Martin Luther King is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in the Civil Rights movement.

President Lyndon Johnson signs historic Civil Rights bill.

Sports: Olympic boxing champion Cassius Clay, 22, a heavyweight underdog defeats intimidating boxing champion

1965: In The Headlines: March to Selma Becomes Known as Bloody Sunday The Selma to Montgomery marches begins. Alabama State Troopers attack Civil-Rights demonstrators including woman, children and seniors outside of Selma, Alabama – an event that will be known as “Bloody Sunday.” Triggered by

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police brutality, race riots rage in Watts, California for five days. President Lyndon Johnson signs historic Voting Rights Act. Sports: Olympic star Ralph Boston leaps 27 feet 5 inches setting a world record at the California Relays.

Deaths: Malcolm X is assassinated at the beginning of a speech in New York. Noted playwright Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun), the first female to have her play on Broadway, loses her fight with cancer.

Romantic and swing jazz singer Nat King Cole (Unforgettable) succumbs to lung cancer.

1966: In The Headlines: Riots Mar Major U.S. Cities Racial tensions erupt in three major U.S. cities resulting with riots in Chicago, New York and Cleveland. Edward W. Brooke becomes first Black U.S. senator elected in 85 years.

Music: Soul Brother No.1 James Brown releases “It’s a Man’s World.”

Sports: Basketball player Wilt Chamberlain breaks NBA scoring record with 20,884 point in only seven seasons. Bill Russell named first Black coach in professional sports coaching the Boston Celtics.

Top ranked middleweight boxer Hurricane Carter is arrested for suspicion of murder. Baseball homerun king, Continued on page 10

Our 400 Year Sojourn Continued from page 9 Willie Mays belts his 535th homerun and moves into second place behind the legendary Babe Ruth.

1967: In The Headlines: Marshall Appointed to High Court Thurgood Marshall becomes the first Black to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Shirley Chisholm becomes the first Black woman to serve in congress. Stokely Carmichael and H. Rapp Brown call for a Black revolution.

Sports: Muhammad Ali is stripped of his World Heavyweight title after refusing to be inducted into the military.

Music: Acid king of the electric guitar, Jimi Hendrix headlines Monterey Pop Festival drawing a crowd of 50,000.

1968: In The Headlines: King and Kennedy Assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee; riots erupt in four major U.S. cities with the exception of Indianapolis where Sen. Robert Kennedy addressed the crowd breaking the news of King’s death.

Actress Eartha Kitt speaks out against the Vietnam War at the White House. Black Panther leader Eldrige Cleaver releases his book

“Soul on Ice.” Robert Kennedy is assassinated minutes after winning the California presidential primary. Martin Luther King’s assassin James Earl Ray is arrested in London. Tennis star, Arthur Ash becomes the first Black man to win the U.S. Open championship.

Olympic athletes Tommy Smith and John Carlos become iconic figures in sports after they give the “Black Power” salute at the 1968 Olympic after accepting their medals.

1969: In The Headlines: Biracial Fayette, Mississippi Elects Black Mayor Charles Evers, the brother of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, becomes Fayett’s first Black mayor.

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Stokely Carmichael resigns from Black Panther Party and Party Chairman Bobby Seales is arrested for murder.

Chicago police raid Black Panther’s headquarters party; leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark are killed.

Music: Richie Havens and Jimi Hendrix headline with other rock stars at the Woodstock Festival.

The 1950’s and the 1960’s were decades of challenge, change and dissent. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement drew millions into an unforgettable and exciting era begging the question: “Do the times make the man, or does the man make the times?”.

Spike in Youth Suicides in the Black Community Sparks Alarm

By Alfonzo Porter

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s African Americans, we have tragically become accustomed to overcoming the vestiges of suffering under the yoke of a nation compelled to ensure our perpetual suffering.

But now we have happened upon a crisis that promises to tear at our very souls.

Our community has become besieged with a shocking and heartbreaking crisis. Our children, young innocent babies are now taking their own lives—committing suicide as early as age 5. The imperative to address this situation here in our 400 year-long history in the U.S. has never been more urgent.

So how did we get here? The condition of the black family in the U.S. has become ever more fractured and divided over the past several decades; it is a phenomenon that has been thoroughly detailed and studied.

Now, this truth is having disastrous consequences for African American children as the rate of suicide among young black youth has swelled to more than twice that of their white peers. These numbers impact both boys and girls.

According to psychiatrist Samoon Ahmad, clinical professor at NYU School of Medicine, the break down in the black family network is having exacting outcomes on the development of our children. Citing a 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control, Ahmad claims that a black child dies every 12 days in America resulting from suicide.

For many black adults, the assumption that our children are too young to experience such high levels of despair and anxiety is a primary culprit. In fact, black parents we fail to discuss emotional, mental and psychological issues and struggles with our children—leaving the 5 to 12 year old population most at risk of taking their own lives. Over the past

few years, the to speak with rate of suicide authority to our among this age problems. group has Therefore, the reportedly even matter can only accelerated. The Rylan Hagan McKenzie Adams Phillip Spruill be addressed by underlying issues those who are of depression, intense sadness, dejec- genetically and spiritually contion from the peer group, hopelessnected—namely black parents and ness and feeling as though there is no adults. one in which to confide are basic As a black man who has dedtriggers for committing suicide. icated his existence to the uplift of With the introduction of ubiquiour youth, I am simply incapable of tous technology, social media and summoning the physical, emotional issues such as cyber bullying, chilor spiritual strength to recount the dren are becoming increasingly isovoluminous, heartbreaking cases of lated within their own social cocoon. these young souls—their blameless, Far too many children are tethered to virtuosity pulling at my very essence. screens and gaming devices leaving What is so compelling is that the little time for traditional interaction most prevalent form of death is by such as neighborhood play; this also hanging. Given the historical images results in the slowing of their social of our ancestry in this nation, I am development. certain that this irony is not lost on A recent study conducted by the anyone. Plainly put, our adult African Journal of American Medical American problems have now filtered Association (JAMA) demonstrates down to our children. They are not an age-related disparity in suicide equipped to deal with such castigarates among elementary and middle tion, hatred and prejudice. school students; with black student There are tools to help us address statistics vastly outpacing that of this crisis. The Urban Spectrum, in white children. Heretofore, there has tandem with the Church of God in been little empirical research involving black children and suicide.

However, between 1993 and 2012, 657 black children between the ages of 5 and 12 committed suicide—103 girls and 533 boys.

Clearly, there is a need for deeper scholastic inquiry into the reasons for this horrifying trend. There are indications that if the African American community continue to fail to pay closer attention to these numbers, they will invariably persist and rise.

As black adults who love our beautiful, gifted black children, we cannot pretend to not see this shocking manifestation. Similarly, it will not suffice to look outwardly for solutions. Too many times we look to the schools and others to provide answers to the problems that vex our community. Speadking as a former teacher and school administrator, schools are bureaucratic institutions that exist largely to sustain themselves. Often times they are staffed with people who look nothing like us - who know little, if anything of our struggle. It is completely counterintuitive to keep expecting schools, in a high-stakes testing environment Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – May 2019

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Christ has recently embarked upon an aggressive program to promulgate a message of hope, resilience and survival across the nation. Ostensibly the program will promote better modes of communication that encourage our young people to reach out for help.

Without being hyperbolic, this issue represents a direct threat that strikes at the very heart of African American existence—the apparent solution, at least in our children’s developing minds, is death. That was true most recently most recently in the cases of 11-year-old, Rylan Hagan of Washington DC, 9-year-old McKenzie Adams of Alabama and Philip Spruill, 11, of Philadelphia.

These babies were not equipped to handle conditions of stress, anxiety and depression—and we have nowhere else to look except in the mirror for the cause. Time is of the essence in this crisis as we are all being called to account for what is the most pressing issue of our time..

Editor’s note: For more information email aporter@vertex.learning.com or publisher@urbanspectrum.net.

The Lady Doctor:

Mother of All Mothers

By Thomas Holt Russell

L earning about prominent but anonymous historical figures has a purpose other than to highlight their accomplishments. Learning their stories can teach us about life. All of us spend our lives loving, influencing and communicating with others. We sleep, eat, and go to the restroom, just as everyone else regardless of who we are and in the big picture, class status and money makes little difference.

When we learn another’s story, we get a closer view of ourselves. Many famous people ended up in pauper’s graves and many common people had statues erected in their honor.

Some of these anonymous people tales are cautionary tales. Some are inspirational, some are sad, but the one thing

they always have in common, is they teach us a little about humanity itself, about the state of the human condition. They almost always teach us lessons about perseverance and/or humility. When we can learn a little bit more about ourselves and life, and all of the things associated in our reality, we are better off. At best, we can digest this knowledge and make things better for others, if not ourselves.

I can’t think of anything nobler than living a life that will make things better for those that will be here long after we are gone. Funny thing is most of those people did not set out to become rich or famous. They did not necessarily know they were making long lasting positive impacts on society. They were simply living their lives and doing the things that they were passionate about.

Justina L. Ford, M.D. Known in the community as “The Lady Doctor” Justina Ford was the first licensed African American female doctor in Colorado. She was born, Justina Laurena Carter on January 22, 1871 in Knoxville, Illinois. She was the 7th child in her family.

Dr. Ford later related, “I wouldn’t play with others unless we played hospital, and I wouldn’t play even that unless they let me be the doctor.”

Dr. Ford initially attended Hering Medical College in Chicago, where she married Rev. Dr. John Elijah Ford. She graduated in 1899. Dr. Ford traveled to Alabama to take the state’s medical certification exam, attending the State Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes. After passing the test in 1900, she was certified to practice medicine by the Madison County Board of Medical Examiners.

As listed in the transactions of the state medical society, she was joined by 55 other Black physicians in Alabama as a successful candidate, and for a short time, she was the college’s resident physician.

Her next move was to Denver, Colorado, which may not have been an ideal place for a female Black physician (for African Americans, no place was ideal), but it was slightly better than the Jim Crow southern states. Colorado, at that time, did not allow African Americans to join the Colorado Medical Society. This restriction prevented her and the other five male African Americans doctors in Denver from becom-

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ing members of the American Medical Association and like falling dominoes - this prevented them from receiving their accreditation from Denver hospitals. To make matters worse, Black physicians and Black patients were not allowed in Denver General Hospital.

Dr. Ford did not let any of those barriers halt her passion for helping people. After moving to Denver in 1902, she purchased a nine-room house at 2335 Arapahoe St. and hung her shingle to let people know she was open business. After setting up her practice, Dr. Ford did what she had to do to serve her community. She used bicycles as well as horse and buggy to travel to patient’s homes. Later she purchased a car and hired drivers to transport her. Sometimes she took taxis. Her practice consisted of gynecology, obstetrics and pediatrics. Some of her customers lived in the city but many lived in rural areas.

She carried out many of the births in people’s homes and sometimes in her home office.

Of the 7,000 babies she is believed to have delivered; only 15 percent were African American. She served poor whites, Mexicans, Greeks, Koreans, Hindus, Japanese and any other human that needed her help. By the time of her death she was able to converse in seven different languages.

She didn’t become wealthy. She accepted whatever cash, servic-

es or goods her customers could afford to give her. Her caring generosity did not stop at healthcare; she also provided blankets, food and coal for her patients who needed those items.

Before her death in 1952, she was given the Human Relations Award by the Cosmopolitan Club of Denver and finally gained admission to the Denver and Colorado Medical Societies.

But even in 1952, The Denver Inquire noted that after her 50 years of service, Dr. Ford was still Colorado’s “first and only Negro woman M.D.� In 1989 she was recognized by the Colorado Medical Society “as an outstanding figure in the development and furtherance of health care in Colorado,�

Lost Your Joy?

It is great that Dr. Ford has been written about and is in the books as a pioneering American. But besides the written accolades and digital trails of her great accomplishments, residents of Colorado, as well as visitors to the state, would do well to visit the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center. Preservation is great, but the actual dissemination and retention of information about historical figures, given in the proper settings, is the preferred way to learn about great people. The visceral experience that follows does more to retain information and inspire than any printed word (including these words) could ever do. Dr. Justina Ford’s tenaciously paved a way through an

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Her home at 2335 Arapahoe St. was scheduled demolition in 1983 but was saved by Historic Denver, Hiawatha Davis and a host of other concerned citizens.

In 1984 the home was moved to its present location at 3091 California Street. The home is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks and the site is now the home of the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center.

arduous cultural landscape. Her efforts made the path easier for the offspring of those she served and all of the doctors who followed - regardless of race or nationality. And I believe she deserves all of the attention we can give her..

Editor’s note: Thomas Holt Russell is a teacher, writer, photographer and modern day Luddite. For more information, visit http://thomasholtrussell.zenfolio.com/ Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – May 2019

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New Research and Blueprint4SummerCO Fuel ReSchool’s Efforts to Address Disparities in Summer Learning for Denver Metro-Area Youth Blueprint4SummerCO website also launches Summer College Prep opportunities

ReSchool, a Denver-based non-profit organization focused on designing a more expansive, equitable and accessible educa-

tion system with, and for, learners across Colorado, is announcing efforts to address learning disparities in Denver based on new research that found students with low access to summer camps and classes are more likely to be Black and Latino, live in homes with lower median household incomes and have parents with a high school diploma or less while students with the best access to summer activities are more likely to be white, live in

homes with higher median incomes and have college-educated parents. The research, along with ReSchool’s partnership with families through its Learner Advocate Network, uncovered challenges to access that exist partly due to proximity of programs, high costs, and a lack, seemingly, of diverse options. The research study, “Access to Out-of-School Resources in Denver,” was conducted by the University of Washington's Data Science for

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the Social Good (DSSG) program and the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) and used data from Reschool’s Blueprint4SummerCO website along with other sources.

Based on this research, ReSchool is leading the charge to expand access to quality, diverse summer learning for all kids by building awareness of Blueprint4SummerCO as a resource for families, leveraging scholarship money raised by ReSchool and available through providers, and partnering with a growing number of learning providers across the metro-area to amplify activities that integrate culture and history into their programming.

Blueprint4SummerCO is a free, easy-to-use, mobilefriendly website brought to Colorado by ReSchool that offers an organized, searchable way to access thousands of summer activities and learning opportunities. Camps and experiences listed on Blueprint4SummerCO span various communities in the Denver Metro area, for kids age 3-18, and in multiple interest areas, cultures and traditions.

For example, Visions Performing Arts is dedicated to the preservation of African American performing arts and celebrating African American History for future generations and Museo de las Americas builds cultural competencies and unlocks new understanding of academic content through summer programming focused on the arts and cultures of the Americas.

“Our goal is to provide a space where all families can access information about summer learning opportunities that fit their desires and needs while working to make many of those opportunities more accessible through scholarships,” said Selamawit Gebre, who leads the out-of-school work at Reschool Colorado.

Continued on page 29

HelpforToday - HopeforTomorrow

By Kim Farmer

L

ast month was Alcohol Awareness month and the theme was, “Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow.” This grassroots effort was founded many years ago to help educate both young and old people about the dangers of alcohol use. Throughout the month of April, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) offered free assessments and education seminars on the subject of alcoholism.

It is estimated that more than 40 million American adults drink alcohol regularly which is 10 million more than the entire population of Canada. The latest data from the NCADD indicates that alcoholism affects nearly 18 million Americans or

close to one in every 12 adults.

These numbers are a gross underestimate and there are countless millions who regularly engage in binge drinking who have not yet received (or sought out) medical attention.

At present, nearly 50 percent of all American adults have a family history of alcoholism and more than 8 million children reside in a home where at least one parent abuses or is dependent on alcohol.

What are the warning signs of alcohol abuse?

•Repeated unsuccessful attempt to stop drinking •Drinking alcohol to forget about problems or relieve the anxiety •Having guilty feelings after having consumed alcohol •Consistently lying about drinking habits •Going to great lengths to hide the drinking habit •Have caused harm to someone else as a result of drinking •The need to drink escalating amounts of alcohol to feel better about one’s self •Becoming irritable and moody when not drinking or when alcohol is not available •Have developed medical problems as a result of alcohol •Have run into legal problems related to alcohol Over the past two decades, the numbers of alcoholics in the country have steadily increased.

So what does all this mean?

Perhaps not so surprisingly, at least six Americans die every day and close to 100,000 Americans die every year as a result of an alcohol-related problem. Of these deaths, close to 30 percent are attributed to drunk driving. And alcoholism has repercussions way beyond the alcoholic individual; it is associated with marital problems, domestic abuse, legal problems, liver disease, difficulty with work, disability, increased healthcare costs and premature death.

It is for these reasons, that the NCADD has established April as Alcohol Awareness month for the past 4 decades paired with the theme “Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow.” The key aim is to educate young people about the ramifications of alcohol, its causes, treatment and recovery.

The public needs to know that alcoholism can be prevented.

So should one not drink alcohol at all?

The NCADD recommends that one should participate in responsible drinking and know when to stop. Regular consumption of alcohol not only damages the liver and the brain, but the healthcare costs to manage these complications are enormous. In general, one should not consume more than 3-4 drinks per week. The medical benefits of alcohol have been over-hyped by the alcoholic industry. Alcohol may slightly

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drop your cholesterol levels, but this effect can be obtained by walking for 30 minutes every day-which is cheaper, safer and healthier than drinking alcohol and leads to a much better quality of life.

Additionally, alcohol is certainly not calorie free. A 12ounce glass of beer has about 150 calories, a 5-ounce glass of red wine has about 125 calories, and a 1.5 ounce shot of gin, rum, vodka, whiskey or tequila has about 100 calories, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Additionally, in a new study published in the Journal of Health Psychology, researchers suggest that alcohol impairs inhibitory control, which leads people to eat more which will not benefit any weight loss efforts.

If you drink regularly, become more aware of the amount and frequency of your drinking starting this month.

Reduce your intake by finding other ways to deal with stress and anxiety that contribute to your health like taking a walk, or begin a new habit of meditation, yoga or a new stretch routine. Your wallet (and your waistline!) will thank you for it..

Editor’s note: Kim Farmer of Mile High Fitness & Wellness offers inhome personal training and corporate fitness solutions. For more information, visit www.milehighfitness.com or email thrive@milehighfitness.com

The Honorable Wellington E. Webb President Carter, Health and Human Services, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Editor’s note: Former Denver First Lady Wilma J. Webb’s latest project is commissioning a sculpture of her husband, Wellington E. Webb, Denver’s first African American mayor who served 12 years from 1991 to 2003. The sculpture, also supported by Mayor Michael Hancock, will be placed in the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building in downtown to educate visitors about the city’s 42nd mayor. Last month, we looked back on his years in the Colorado State Legislature, 1972-1977. This month, we highlight his work as part of President Jimmy Carter’s campaign and administration, and his time in Gov. Richard Lamm’s administration. Below is an edited excerpt from his autobiography, “The Man, the Mayor and the Making of Denver.”

In 1976, Wilma and I were

impressed when we met Jimmy Carter when he was visiting Denver and mounting a campaign for president. A few days later, I took out my checkbook and wrote our little contribution of $15 to his campaign. My God, how far that $15 took me.

After Carter won the Democratic nomination, I was asked to run his campaign in Colorado while I was still in the legislature and facing a reelection campaign. Wilma helped me campaign for Carter and my brother, Joe, ran my reelection campaign for the legislature along with Venita Vinson, Myrna Durley and Annie Slaughter. On Nov. 3, 1976, Carter was elected and Wilma suggested we use our last dollar in savings for me to fly to Washington, D.C., to try and get a job in his administration.

Carter offered me a job as Region Eight director for the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services but I wasn’t sure if I wanted it, so I asked advice from legislator Arie Taylor.

“Well, how much are you getting paid as a legislator?” she asked, knowing full well we both got $12,000 a year. When I told her the new job would pay $42,000, she told me I would be stupid not to leave the legislature.

I felt by virtue of leaving the legislature, I would also give up my dream of running for the U.S. Congress. Many people think I always wanted to be Denver’s mayor, but I didn’t.

Region Eight for HEW included the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming and oversees a variety of federal programs, including Social Security, welfare, Medicaid, Head Start, and student loans.

My experience at HEW would help later when as mayor I had to make decisions concerning Denver Health Medical Center.

I was determined to visit every state in the region and listen to people’s concerns. At Standing Rock Reservation, in the Dakotas, my running buddy was Al White Lighting who complained that tribal politics was increasing his valium intake.

One time I called Wilma from White Lighting’s place and she said give me the number you are at and I’ll call you back. She calls back. Al answers the phone,

he gives me the phone and she said I heard the laughter and Al Green music in the background.

I said Indians like Al Green too, and we were drinking wine before the rodeo where they put their trucks in a circle with their lights on and they rode bucking horses

In 1980, I was asked to join Carter’s reelection campaign.

There was a need in Chicago and I wanted to go there because that’s where I was born. I asked President Carter’s wife,

bareback.

I unsuccessfully proposed directly fund the Standing Rock Reservation, rather than the Dakotas controlling the money, because each state provided funding for children differently.

While at HEW it was clear to me that the federal government is too slow, and if you want to make a real impact it’s at the local government level. One afternoon, after a leisurely drive that couples often take, Wilma and I sat on the top row at Red Rocks discussing our futures.

“I’m going to be mayor of Denver one day,” I told her.

Wilma’s reply: “Man of the people.” And we just sat.

Roslyn, to call Wilma and let her know why I was needed in Illinois. I also requested the press release announcing my campaign work would be released to the black newspapers in the city, and that if Carter lost I still had my job.

Some White House staffers asked why I wanted my job guaranteed. I told them it’s easier to get a job when you have one, and only someone who has never been out of work asked that question.

The timing of me leaving was tricky. Wilma was running for House District 8, a seat being vacated by our friend King

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Trimble who filled the position since I left the legislature.

While Wilma was campaigning in Denver, I brought my brother, Ron Crowell, with me to Chicago and we worked with

several other Chicagoans: Rev. Jesse Jackson, Harold Washington, comptroller Roland Burris, Jane Bryne and Wallace D. Muhammad. Ron and I drove around Chicago and I reminisced about places I used to visit, like Comiskey Park where as a southsider I always rooted for the Chicago White Sox and not the Cubs.

Young political operatives nationwide came to Chicago to campaign, including Maggie Williams and Judy Byrd, and they worked with Chicago locals Norris Washington, Alice Tregay

and Councilman Mike Holiwinski.

We also brought in many important African Americas to help us campaign in Illinois, including Coretta Scott King, Coleman Young and Muhammad Ali. “Vote for Jimmy Carter because he’s the right white,” Ali said.

On the night Carter lost to Ronald Reagan, I hopped a plane back to Denver just in time to celebrate Wilma’s victory in the legislature.

I still had my HEW job but because the Republicans were in power my clout was gone.

Gov. Lamm had been reelected and some in my group thought I would be a good fit for his cabinet, even though I walked out of his first inauguration and then his second inauguration because of his rough relation with Colorado’s first black lieutenant governor George Brown.

Still, Lamm offered me a job as executive director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies and I took it. This agency oversees the testing and licensing pro process for real estate, banking, savings and loan, horse and dog racing, civil rights, and the Public Utilities Commission. It also monitors the professional occupation boards of psychology, social work, nursing, passenger tramways, engineering, plumbing, electrical engineering, barber and cosmetology.

By 1983, I thought Denver was ready for a minority mayor, but I would have to wait eight more years for my dream to become reality. Instead, a young attorney, Federico Pena, was the first Latino and minority to win the job..

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Two Men Who Helped Pave the Way for African American Activists in Denver: Holmes, Westbrook, and Activism Before the Age of BlacKkKlansman

By Noah Allyn Editor’s note: This article was originally published by History Colorado at historycolorado.org.

I

n light of Black History Month and the ongoing struggle for racial equality, it seems fitting to explore Denver’s rich history of African American activism. Although Denver is not commonly associated with civil rights activism, Black Coloradans have long been active participants in the struggle against racial oppression.

This was no less true during the first half of the twentieth century.

Early African American Activists in Denver

Commission, a member of the YMCA Board of Directors, a member of the NAACP, a delegate to the Republican National Convention, and a Sunday school superintendent.

At one point risking his own life for the betterment of people of color across the state, Westbrook made a name for himself as one of the most impactful activists in earlytwentieth-century Denver.

One of Westbrook’s associates, Dr. Clarence Holmes, was also a prominent figure in African American activism in Colorado. After completing his degree at Howard University College of Dentistry, Holmes returned to his hometown of Denver to practice dentistry.

Witnessing racial discrimination, segregation, and the increasing prevalence of the KKK, Holmes established the Denver Interracial Committee estab in 1916. He also helped to establish a local branch of the NAACP with the assistance of Westbrook and other local African American activists.

nized the growth of anti-black racism in Colorado and across the country during the 1910s.

The growing popularity of the KKK, for instance, was influenced by the hit 1915 film, The Birth of a Nation. Taking note of this, writers at the Denver Star criticized the film’s depiction of Klansmen as noble Americans.

In reference to the Ku Klux Klan and The Birth of a Nation one writer for the Denver Star newspaper asked: “Will Colorado be like Carolina, home of Ben Tillman?” Citing The Birth of a Nation and Ben Tillman (a southern senator and avid white supremacist), writers for the newspaper were concerned that, following the logic of the film, white Coloradans might be susceptible to the philosophy of the KKK, leading to further discrimination and segregation.

The journalist argued that if white children see the film, “they will not want to sit by [Black students] in school nor will they want to be in the same room with such criminal beasts.” In light of this threat, the journalist strongly urged against screening The Birth of a Nation in Denver. Indeed, the Denver Star was right to be concerned about the souring of race relations in Colorado.

A Call to Action Photo of Dr. Westbrook in newspaper clipping from Denver Star, Dec. 11, 1915.

After attending medical school, Dr. Joseph Henry Peter Westbrook moved to Denver in 1907 to practice medicine. He quickly became one of the most prominent African American citizens in Colorado, serving as an officer of Denver’s Interracial

Denver Star, Dec. 14, 1915

Efforts to improve the lives of black Coloradans were not restricted to Holmes and Westbrook. The Denver Star, Denver’s preeminent African American newspaper, recog-

The Denver KKK parades down Larimer Street prior to a convention in May 1926.

Courtesy History Colorado.

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Despite the efforts of Holmes, Westbrook, and the Denver Star, the battle for equality did not yield immediate results in Denver. To the contrary, race relations deteriorated in Colorado in the 1920s.

This must have been painfully clear when, in 1926, hundreds of Klan members marched down Larimer Street in robes and hoods. By the middle of the decade the political influence of the Klan in Colorado was outrivaled by only one other state in the nation (Indiana).

Clarence Holmes made this photograph of a cross burned on his lawn by the KKK in 1925.

The Klan increasingly targeted Denver’s Five Points neighborhood, home to the majority of the city’s African Americans at the time. In one instance, Klansmen actually burned a cross in front of the house of Dr. Holmes. Moreover, Five Points remained the only hospitable neighborhood for African Americans, as they were forbidden from using public facilities throughout the rest of the city. Considering

Denver’s inhospitality to African Americans, Holmes, Westbrook, and other activists quickly realized the need for further activism in the 1930s.

Predictably, Westbrook heeded the call to action. In perhaps his greatest claim to fame, he infiltrated the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. As a lightskinned African American, Westbrook joined the Klan in order to notify Black Coloradans about the hate group’s impending plans.

Risking his own life, he sought to protect Denver’s black population at all costs.

As evidenced by his involvement with the Cosmopolitan Club, the NCAAP, the Red Cross, and the Salvation Army, Holmes remained politically and socially active throughout his life. After nearly a century of activism, Holmes died in March of 1978.

Newspaper clipping featuring Clarence Holmes from the Rocky Mountain News, Dec. 6, 1974.

Clarence Holmes at Cosmopolitan Club event in 1964. Courtesy Denver Public Library Western History Department.

In reaction to mounting racial tensions, Holmes established yet another organization aimed at improving the lives people of color in Colorado: the Cosmopolitan Club. With a motto that stated “Humanity above Race, Nationality, and Creed,” the organization was dedicated to building relationships among Denver’s diverse communities. In light of this, club members represented an array of groups in Denver, including African Americans, Anglo Americans, Japanese Americans, and Jewish Americans. Holmes led the group as president for more than thirty years.

Living Legacies While the achievements of Holmes and Westbrook during their lifetimes must not be forgotten, it is equally important to note their impact on younger generations of activists.

Despite his death, Holmes’ legacy remains relevant. Like Holmes, modern activists concon alli tinue to see the value of alliances that transcend lines of sex race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. Denver’s annual Womxn’s March, for instance, is not merely intended for women. In an effort to “listen to those who have been silenced,” the 2019 rally featured nonbinary and transgender participants. As Holmes realized when he created the Cosmopolitan Club in 1931, it was—and it continues to be— crucial to unite activists with different causes and backgrounds.

relatively sparse, he remained a clandestine Klan member for a number of years. All the while, he continued alerting the African American community about impending cross burnings, bombings, and other threats.

According to his family result members, extreme stress resulting from his courageous involvement with the KKK likely impacted his health. con Following his speech at a conference in the Shorter African Community Church in 1939, Westbrook unexpectedly died of a heart attack upon returning to his seat.

Westbrook’s infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan might sound strikingly familiar to some readers. As depicted in Spike Lee’s Oscar-winning 2018 film BlacKkKlansman, Ron Stallworth—Colorado Springs’ first African American police detective—successfully infiltrated the KKK decades after

Joseph Henry Peter Westbrook.

Courtesy Denver Public Library Western History Collection.

Similar to Holmes, Westbrook’s activism continued until his death. Although specific information about his infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan is Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – May 2019

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Westbrook. In a more recent occurrence, Theo Wilson, an African American activist from Denver, went undercover as a white supremacist to expose the racist ideologies of the Alt-Right movement.

Whether or not Stallworth and Wilson were aware of Westbrook’s actions in the 1920s and 1930s, it is clear that Westbrook’s activism paved the way for African American activists in Colorado nearly one hundred years later..

Sources: “From Five Points to Struggle Hill: The Race Line and Segregation in Denver.”

Colorado Heritage, Autumn 2005, 28–39.

Meier, White J. “The Birth of a Nation Flayed.” Denver Star, vol. 26, no. 115, December 4, 1915.

“Meet the secret society that infiltrated Denver’s Ku Klux Klan during the height of its power,” by Kevin Beaty.

Denverite, February 8, 2017.

“Dr. Joseph H. P. Westbrook, early Denver civil rights activist.” Fairmount Heritage Foundation, June 6, 2016.

The way that bullets

cheapen life is never made clearer than when a celebrity or a loved one is murdered.

Nipsey Hussle felt like both to so many of us. There is a sad juxtaposition exposed in violent murderers, and it is truly jarring. This grand, wide, and impactful human life was worth no more than the weight of lead? Not since Tupac Shakur’s murder has violence impacted so many on such an emotional level. The range of feelings elicited by Hussle’s death is astounding. From ragefueled conspiracy theories to the disgust we feel in finding out a Black man pulled the trigger, mass trauma indeed engulfed the ‘hood on March 31st. We may take years to recover.

At the time of writing this, no conspiracy behind Nipsey’s death has been proven, though rumors on the internet abound.

Some say the alleged assassin, Eric Holder, was paid to end the rapper’s life. For the sake of staying intellectually honest, we’ll deal with the facts as we know them. What we do know is that jealousy played a key part in the equation. Holder, fancying himself a rapper, was far less successful by comparison. In the pecking order of the ‘hood, being labeled a “snitch” put him squarely at the bottom of the food chain. How one behaves out of envy can be inextricably linked to the mental health of the one afflicted with said envy. Whether or not Holder was diagnosed with a clinical mental illness is not what I call into question here.

It’s the collective psyche of Black men, systemically emasculated, and how we’re conditioned to assert our manhood.

Rapper T.I., in an interview shortly following Nipsey’s death, said that some of us

Nipsey Hu$$le: a Men, Murder, and Messiahs

By Theo E.J. Wilson

operate on a low vibration.

Those of us who do “vibrate low” tend to project our unworthiness and inner sickness outward onto the world around us.

If someone shines brightly in our presence, it triggers us the urge to bring down that light that reminds us of our own dimness. Upon hearing this, I could not help but reflect on the spiritual implications of T.I.’s words.

If jealousy is indeed a lower vibration, it is surely one that all of us have been subject to at one time or another. To act as if this were not true is to deny the emotional reality of the human condition. We’ve all felt it, including myself. As an adolescent, envy was familiar to me.

Being an unpopular teenager, being at the bottom of the male hierarchy filled my mind with violent scenarios. I remember ruminating on dark fantasies in which my fists would bring down another young man that

the pecking order had placed above me. I remember wanting that oh-so-precious alpha male position – the more dominant the alpha the more tempting the action to bring him down to my level.

Consequentially, I manifested situations to warrant my feelings of being less-than, until life matured me out of it. The question is...what if it hadn’t?

What if life took away my father, left me to the streets, and diverted my attention from learning to survive? A piece of me looks at Nipsey, and especially his assassin and thinks, “There, but by the grace of God, go I.” So much of our circumstance is out of our control, and if you should forget, murder will sharply remind you of that.

This leads me to wonder how many African people has centuries of systemic racism left trapped in a lower vibration.

Certainly, all people can manifest higher and lower vibra-

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tions. What seems to be unique about Black folks is the amplitude we bring to the “vibes” we broadcast. By this, I mean to say that when Black people manifest higher vibrations, it seems we are borderline messianic.

The trope of the “Magic Negro” appears at times to be based in the reality that if Black people emit vibrations of love, joy, charisma, and hope, it can almost change the temperature of the room. It can imbue us with a soulful radiance that, when elevated to the world stage, can change the course of global events. But when our vibes are low, the destruction we are capable of seems to be borderline demonic. When our dial is set to “kill mode” there seems to be a ruthless efficiency to our ability to murder seen in young men from Chicago, to varL.A., to the child soldiers in var ious African conflicts. Indeed, a low-vibing brotha with nothing to lose can influence an entire community to lose hope in themselves.

I heard an elder say that the Black man is indestructible, but self-destructible. He said that the oppressor tried everything to break him. The oppressor threw him on a slave ship, put him on a plantation, lynched him, sick dogs on him, sprayed him with water hoses, raped his woman and stole his children, and somehow, he survived.

But, somewhere along the way, a deviously clever oppressor figured something out. He figured out that if you turn the raw, blunt force that the Black man used to survive and turn it against himself; you could implode the Black man from within. How many funerals have we attended that painfully validate this ender’s insight?

When we look at the miraculous resilience of Black folks, we forget that it came with a cost.

A dark shadow followed the survivors of the slave trade.

Yes, we made it through some of the worst treatment ever inflicted on human beings. But

upon close inspection, those of us who survived could endure long bouts of grief and misery.

Survival selected the Black folks who could stomach lower vibrations for longer periods of time. Those of us who could not persevere through extreme emotional distress were weeded out. Certainly, we alchemized this pain into music such as the blues, gospel, jazz, and hip-hop.

On the other hand, this kind of extended sadness, toil and strife are experienced as normality for most of us. The problem is, when you sit in feces long enough; it no longer stinks to you. It’s like living in a dirty house: you stop seeing the filth until company comes over, or the roaches and rats remind you to clean house.

On a spiritual level, we’ve normalized an unhealthy amount of negative energy. It shows up in a variety of ways, from cancer to toxic relationships. It can also show up as violence, especially in young men. Gangsta culture feeds on a destructive energy that festers in our community as a result of systemic white supremacy.

Murderers like the one that took Nipsey Hussle are like the roaches that remind us of the stench we’ve grown to ignore.

It’s time to ask ourselves some hard questions about the conditions we allow our children to inherit. Is survival of American slavery and white supremacy all that we are leaving our babies? The young men with warrior spirits are actually a God-send. Our people need brothas not afraid of a good battle. But, if we don’t find a constructive way to direct the warriors in our tribe, the community will be their targets.

On the other hand, the oppressive forces in the world know the power of these young brothas. The Black Panthers reminded them. The Haitian rebellion terrified them. Nat Turner had them spooked.

Muhammad Ali had them awed. Malcolm X had them

speechless. When Black men access the force of their higher vibration, they become something akin to messiahs. Take an inventory of how many Black men achieve legendary greatness in their chosen fields, and consider the statistically unlikely nature of it. For such a small intersection of humanity, Black and male, it is mathematically improbable that we create so many world-changing, mythbusting, history-making humans. Aside from the aforementioned Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, consider the greatness of Bob Marley, Nelson Mandela, Marcus Garvey, George Washington Carver, Haile Sellasi, Barack Obama, Tupac Shakur, Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Patrice Lumumba, Michael Jordan, Jimmy Hendricks, Jomo Kenyata, Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Usain Bolt, Mansa Musa, Hannibal Barker, Ramses the Great, Moses, Frederick Douglass, Stevie Wonder, the original Buddha, and a strong argument for Jesus Christ, Himself.

For what he gave to his community, and the path toward substantial change he was on, I’ll put Nipsey Hussle in this group. Ermias Asgedom, son of an Eritrean father and a Black American mother, embodied the Pan-African spirit of a people returning to greatness.

At his funeral, Nipsey’s fiancée Lauren London gave a stoically tearful tribute to her fallen love.

She reminded us at the end of her speech, in the words of Nipsey Hussle, ‘The Marathon Continues.’ Our march to freedom is not a sprint. If one runner falls, we pick up the baton and keep striding.

Certainly Nipsey’s East African heritage programmed in him the spirit of endurance. Let his life serve as a reminder that liberation is an endurance struggle, and if God has anything to do with it (and He does) we’ll make it to the finish line of freedom..

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Nipsey Hussle:

Beyond the Tragedy to the Deeper Purpose

By Ifalade Ta’Shia Asanti

As his family mourns their beloved, the world mourns the vision and work of a powerful spirit of a man.

From the roots of his struggles, he sprouted a fountain of hope.

From that fountain grew a tree whose branches stretched so wide they couldn’t be destroyed by bullets, haters or even death. Nipsey Hussle’s branches continue to spread across America transforming everyone his legacy touches.

Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, I witnessed the horrors of gang violence. And on April 11, I wept openly when – as a direct result of Hussle’s untimely death – a historic gang truce united red and blue. Many ask, “How long will it last?” I say who cares how long it lasts. The rippling effects of this truce will never end. Even one day of no bloodshed is a reason to celebrate.

There are many opinions about the motives behind the murder of rapper, philanthropist and businessman, Nipsey Hussle. Some opinions border on conspiracy; others are based with the understanding of the machine that steals the lives of young Black men. Whether they

end up in prison or the graveyard, what’s clear is, it’s dangerous to be Black and male in the land of the free.

Despite the tragic ending to Hussle’s life, his legacy spawned a movement to uplift and empower oppressed communities. Hussle was passionate about economic empowerment in communities of color.

To support this goal, he founded a store in the heart of the hood and often employed ex-offenders who couldn’t get hired in the mainstream and used profits from his store and other businesses to fund startups created by that same group. Many of the people he helped not only never returned to the prison system but went on to become successful entrepreneurs.

Nipsey Hussle made it his business to educate his homeboys on the system of racism in America. Through his music and songs, he spoke about the end result of the quick come up. Hussle knew it was no mistake that Black and Brown youth had easy access to guns

and were often targeted by drug traffickers to be mules.

Having witnessed the crippling effects of that lifestyle in the neighborhood where he lived and worked, Hussle ultimately rejected the gang lifestyle. He saw how set-tripping pit Black people against each other in a fight for status and territory.

Hussle went on to model the determination, drive and work ethic required for young Black men to break generational cycles of poverty, community and family violence.

While the world is left with a huge void from the physical loss of Nipsey Hussle, his mission continues to increase and expand.

Community activists, celebrities, gang leaders and everyday people are searching for ways to continue the legacy that Hussle started.

In South Central

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Los Angeles, graffiti artists have created murals depicting the spirit of Hussle. Days after the tragedy, rapper T.I. and other stars bought out everything in Hussle’s store to ensure there would be money to keep the business flourishing. Awardwinning activist and organizer Najee Ali helped spearhead the renaming of a plaza on Slauson and Crenshaw in Los Angeles in the late rapper’s honor. The community at large has vowed to support Hussle’s community work space Vector, which is the only collaborative corporate work space in South Central.

The Nation of Islam (NOI) was a visible force in the wake of Hussle’s murder. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan gave a rare speech at Hussle’s home going service.

The Minister spoke emphatically about ending Black on Black crime as a tribute to Hussle’s legacy. The NOI also led a procession and peace march down Crenshaw Blvd to Hussle’s store.

Hussle’s mother, Tanisha Asghedom, who has been a pil-

lar of strength throughout the horrific ordeal, spoke of the unwavering peace she felt with her son’s passing. She credited that peace to her understanding of her son’s purpose. She also gave two charges to the thousands who watched the services on television; encouraging people to explore a vegan diet and to learn more about traditional African spirituality. She started her remarks with a libation, an ancient ritual of pouring water to the earth while calling the names of her family’s ancestors.

Mama Hussle’s words were beyond powerful. They pulled on an ancestral spiritual tradition that was demonized during the enslavement period known as the Maafa. As she called the names of her son’s ancestors the overflowing stadium was silent; not a word was spoken until she finished praying for community healing and peace.

The journey of an activist is not an easy road. The most painful part of the journey is the wars you fight within your own community. Nipsey Hussle lost his life to that war, but as an ancestor, he is still winning the battle.

Birthing and sustaining an institutional model that feeds the whole versus the individual requires selfless dedication.

Nipsey Hussle proved that the collective model works and works well.

Many people have posted questions on social media asking what they can do to support and duplicate Hussle’s model in their own community. To respond to that call, I created an eight-step plan that I call, “The New Hustle Blueprint.”

The New Hustle Blueprint is a simple plan based on the lessons I have learned over 35 years of activism, organizing and healing work in communities of color and conscious. It is also based on the wisdom I have gained from my Elders and teachers.

The New Hustle Blueprint

By Ifalade TaShia Asanti 1. Reciprocity i.e. Maat – Our Elders called it, “one hand washing the other.” Reciprocity is respect for what was, what is and what is becoming. It is watering the tree from which our seeds were born, even when we have our own tree or trees.

2. Territory – Buy more land and real estate, not things that depreciate. In the age of unscrupulous bouts for power and prestige, owning property has lost its priority. Land ownership is an important part of empowering communities.

3. Honoring Elders – In indigenous communities, before one began any major endeavor, we first consult our Elders for guidance and blessings. The Elders share their wisdom which gives them purpose in their senior years and keeps them from feeling disconnected. The delicate balance between the aged and the youth is sustained through mutual respect, care, recognition and love.

4. Civility - Human beings have always disagreed on things. However, in an indigenous society, we disagreed without destroying one another. I remember a poignant line from a movie, “We fought but we lived to tell the story.” Sometimes a disagreement meant we’d function in different spaces but we understood the importance of working together when we had to, even in the midst of disagreements.

5. Learn Your History – Not the history in public school history books but the real story of your people. Whoever your people are, go beyond the surface to as far back as you can. Most Black history starts post-slavery, but there is a rich and amazing history prior to the enslavement period that highlights the brilliant inventions and knowledge

of people of African descent.

Researching your family history can also be a great experience.

6. Invest in Your Community – Your money has power.

Circulate your wealth in businesses that support your empowerment. Shop at local markets, clothing stores, banking institutions, news outlets, healing centers, hair salons, etc. and support local businesses by offering positive testimony about their quality of services or products.

7. Eat Life; Know the Medicine – Eat life giving foods i.e. foods that have not been processed in any way. If you can’t grow your own food, buy food from someone who grows their food with love and without dangerous GMO ingredients or pesticides.

And don’t be afraid to ask your doctor questions. Research the medicine you’re prescribed and the treatments recommended by your healthcare specialist.

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Knowledge is power. Know the medicine!

8. Iwa Pele-Iwa Pele (e-wah pway-lay), is Yoruba for, “Good & Balanced Character.” I discuss this principle in the context of defamation of character which is among the deadly destroyers of a cultural community. Rumors, gossip and slander breeds conflict.

When people pass on information with half-truths that vilify or paint an incomplete portrait of another, it always harms not helps. Some do this with intentions to build themselves up while tearing another person down. We must focus on taking the log out of our own eye and try to be the best human beings we can..

Editor’s note: Ifalade TaShia Asanti is an activist, award-winning journalist and author of seven books.

For more information about her work, visit www.officialtashiaasanti.com.

HATS OFF TO

COMMUNITY NOTES

Denver Urban Spectrum Takes Home 13 Colorado Press Association Awards

Claudine McDonald Named Manager of Community Relations For Aurora

recipient of the ADA Access Award from the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition.

The 2019 Colorado Press Association (CPA) Annual Convention was held April 1113 at the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center last month. The event was filled with meetings, receptions, luncheons, a job fair, workshops and speakers.

Highlights of the convention included the Governor’s Luncheon with special guest Governor Jared Polis, the Hall of Fame Luncheon and the Awards Dinner closing out the conference.

First time journalism entry award contestant Denver Urban Spectrum received 13 Colorado Press Association awards. Known for design and graphic excellence, DUS Art Director Bee Harris and graphic designer Jody Gilbert confirmed that by receiving first place awards for Best Large Space Ad, Best Small Space Ad and Best Cover Design. DUS Webmaster Michael Zelem received the first place award for Best Website – Monthly.

Editorial awards won were diverse and many. Two second place awards were earned by Dante James for Best Serious Column Writing as well as Lauren Turner for Best Feature Story. Ruby Jones received two first place awards for Best Series as well as Best Editorial Writing. Receiving the second place award for Best Editorial Writing was DUS Executive Consultant Alfonzo Porter.

Publisher Rosalind “Bee” Harris received first and second place awards for Best Editorial Special Section – Glossy or Magazine and Denver Urban Spectrum also received the 2018 Advertising Sweepstakes Winner award.

The city of Aurora has named Claudine McDonald manager of Community Relations. She will oversee a division with the mission of advocating the effective use of available human, community and social service resources in the city.

McDonald previously served as director of member engagement and inclusion at the nonprofit health-care company Colorado Access. She is a former two-term elected member of the Cherry Creek School District Board of Education, and principal/ owner of CGM LLC, which offers diversity and cultural competency consulting and training.

Aurora’s Community Relations Division, part of the Neighborhood Services Department, oversees the city’s Human Relations Commission and Veterans’ Affairs Commission, and coordinates groups such as the Aurora Community of Faith and Aurora Key Community Response Team, which encourages understanding between public safety officials and community leaders. Under McDonald, Community Relations will also include the city’s Neighborhood Liaisons program, an outreach to homeowners’ associations, neighborhood groups and community organizations. Community Relations also is responsible for cultural awareness trainings and multiple community programs, including the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration and the Aurora Race Forum Series.

McDonald assumed the role on April 1. McDonald has a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is a

Rocky Mountain Public Media Names Nikki Swarn Content and Program Director for THE DROP Rocky Mountain Public Media, Colorado’s largest statewide, member-supported, multimedia organization and parent of Rocky Mountain PBS and KUVO announced that Nikki Swarn, a 20year Colorado radio industry veteran, has been named content and program director for THE DROP, KUVO’s new urban digital station featuring rhythm and blues and hip-hop.

In this role, Swarn will lead THE DROP’s team and implement the sound of the station’s new broadcast and streaming service during a time of exciting change in media. She will also contribute content on KUVO’s main channel, the HD2 channel thedrop303.org, produce four hours of content every day on Denver Open Media’s station KOMF, and contribute to RMPBS TV’s art and culture programming.

Prior to joining Rocky Mountain Public Media, Swarn was director of promotions and marketing for KALC (Alice 105.9) in Denver. Previously, she served as director of promotions for Max Media Radio of Denver and director of marketing for Front Range Sports Network. Swarn serves on board for the GRAMMY Awards and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She has a bachelor’s degree in African/African-American Studies, English and Communications from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and an MBA in marketing from Regis University.

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Big Jon Platt Is Special Guest at 9th Annual Beautillion-Cotillion Ball

Music industry leader and pioneer Jon Platt will be the special guest of honor at the 2019 Enchanted Journey Presentation Gala on June 2 at 5 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel.

Colorado Beautillion-Cotillion, Inc. is proud to host Jon Platt, a prominent figure from the Montbello community and alumnus of Montbello High School. He is one of the most successful and well-respected executives in the music industry, and the first African American CEO of a major music publishing company.

This annual youth fundraising event will celebrate the academic and personal accomplishments of high school juniors and seniors with a formal presentation to society and “rites of passage” ceremony.

For tickets or more information, call 720-217-8291 or email cobeautillion@aol.com.

New Denver History Book in Search of African American 1950’s photos The Black American West Museum in partnership with the Denver Post and Pediment Publishing plays host to one of the photo scanning locations on May 10 for the new Denver Memories III book.

In its third edition, the photo collection project provides the opportunity for the Greater Denver African American residents to take part in reflecting the diversity of the city during the 50s by bringing their photos from that era to the museum to be digitized. The hardcover coffee table book will reflect Denver images ranging from

COMMUNITY NOTES street scenes, education and public service celebrations which are submitted by the local community. The photos will be scanned on-site at the museum from noon till 2 p.m. and given right back.

For more information, email Sylvia Lambe at lambe@hotmail.com

Denver Urban League Host Free Symposium The Garden for Healthy Bodies and Minds, a free symposium sponsored by The Denver Urban League Guild, will be held on Saturday, May 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Dahlia Campus Mental Health Center, located at 3401 Eudora St. in Denver.

Refreshments will be served.

For more information, email Katie Moore at ladeemagnolia2@hotmail.com.

Eight Annual Denver Breakfast: When Will The Sun Rise On A World Without Genocide?

The Coalition Against Global Genocide (CoAGG) will hold its Eighth Annual Denver Breakfast on Friday, May 10 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Mile High United Way CoBank Leadership Center, 711 Park Avenue West in Denver.

This year’s guest speaker will be University Professor Ved P. Nanda and Thomas G. Marsh, Professor of Law at the University of Denver.

In 1972, Nanda founded the International Legal Studies Program and now is the founder and director of the Ved Nanda Center for International and Comparative Law. He holds leadership positions in the global international law community and has received numerous national and international awards.

Special recognition will be given to Dr. Tim Kubik who has been with CoAGG since its inception and recently served as chairman of the organization.

CoAGG announce that Governor Jared Polis signed a proclamation officially designating the month of April as Genocide Awareness Month in the State of Colorado which will be read during the program.

The Coalition Against Global Genocide’s mission is to educate, motivate and empower individuals and communities to oppose genocide and crimes against humanity.

Donation to the event is $40.

To register, visit CoAGG.org, and click “donate.” For more information, visit CoAGG.org, call Roz Duman at 303-856-7334 or email rozduman@aol.com.

Making transmissions well since 1983.

We are proud to welcome optician

Robert Bullock

Nathan’s Famous Hot DogEating Qualifying Circuit Visit Denver On May 11

of

Bullseye Optical with his 30 years of experience to our team.

Monday/Tuesday: 9 to 6 Wednesday:Closed • Thursday:10 to 7 Friday: 9 to 5 • Saturday: 9 to 1:30

Local Hot Dog-Eating Champ Wins Trip to July 4th Championship in Coney Island Nathan’s Famous will host the Colorado qualifier for its annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 at Coors Field, 2001 Blake St, in Denver. The top male and female finishers in the event will qualify for a seat at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, on July 4, where they will face reigning champions Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo.

Joey Chestnut of San Jose, California, currently holds the title of hot dog-eating world champion after defeating rising star Carmen Cincotti and setting a new world record and Coney Island record of 74 hot dogs and buns in 2018. Miki Sudo of Las Vegas, Nevada, will defend her title as female champion, having consumed 37 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2018. Miki’s all-time best is 41 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.

For more information about Nathan’s, visit www.nathansfamous.com.

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – May 2019

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REEL ACTION - WWW.BLACKFLIX.COM

Ground Rules

Avengers: End Game

Must See............llll It’s Worth A Look.....lll See At Your Own Risk.ll Don’t Bother.....................l

Editor’s note: Samantha Ofole-Prince is an award-winning writer and contributor to many national publications and is Blackflix.com’s Senior Critic-at-Large. Laurence Washington is the creator of BlackFlix.com.

Like Blackflix.com on Facebook, follow Blackflix.com on Twitter

Shazam! llll

By Jon Rutledge

Avengers: End Game

F

lll1/2

By Laurence Washington

The eagerly awaited

Avengers: End Game has finally hit theaters, and although it delivers everything Marvel fans expect: epic battles, humor and great special effects, it didn’t live up to the hype Disney and Marvel Studios was bombarding audiences with for months. No picture could.

tency in storytelling. Endgame answers all Easter Egg questions and as a bonus all Avengers finally assemble to fight Thanos and his army.

Endgame is the end of the Avengers arc. In fact, there is such a finality that there’s no after credit scene. Clearly Marvel Studios is moving onto a new saga.

That aside, Endgame is the last chapter of the Avenger’s saga, which started seven years ago with The Avengers (’12). The original Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hulk and Thor are just a shell of their former selves after super villain Thanos turned half of the universe to dust at the end of the

720-272-5844

previous Avenger’s movie.

Enter new heroine Captain Marvel (Brie Narson) who was off world defending other galaxies, and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) who was trapped in the quantum realm during the big dust off. Ant-Man comes up

irst and foremost, the crew involved in making the first few Shazam! trailers did not do this film justice. They were played up for more slapstick laughs, and it really turned me off. I thought the humor was all going to play to young kids, and there would be almost no

Shazam!

with a plan to use the quantum realm to utilize time and gather the Infinity Stones before Thanos can used them to wipeout half of the universe.

Assembling the surviving Avengers takes a little doing as Iron Man (Tony Stark) and (Captain America) Steve Rogers have to iron out their past differences, and then there is guilt ridden Thor who is more interested in guzzling beer than changing history.

The thing to admire about Endgame, and all Marvel movies for that matter, is their consis-

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substance. It was when the second round of trailers came out, and I thought they might have something. Still skeptical, I had hoped this movie would be the fresh start DC needed to wash the bad taste of a failed shared universe out of their mouths.

Shazam! is precisely the story they need to rediscover themselves.

Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a young foster kid who is called upon by the wizard Shazam

REEL ACTION - WWW.BLACKFLIX.COM (Djimon Hounsou). Shazam needs to find a champion to carry on his name. Billy takes on the mantel and when he says the wizard’s name he turns into Shazam! As the champion Shazam! (Zachary Levi) Billy needs to learn how to use his powers as well as live his life as a kid. He also has to fight Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) to keep his new powers and protect humanity.

They pulled a lot from the original story, brought in original bad guys for him to fight, as well as introduced more characters to launch an entirely new franchise. There are two after credit scenes that give this film a hint that there are more adventures to come. What other DC films have lacked is an excellent character development story. Someone has finally focused on the humanity of a character instead of just a beaning with powers. The other aspect of this film is that it embraces humor, as well as vibrant colors. It is not all laughs; it is a well-balanced story that ranges in its emotions. A particularly great scene was a moment between Billy and his birth mother (Caroline Palmer). In one scene we see it from the eyes of Billy, young and idealistic. And the second time we see that scene it is identical, but it is from his mother’s perspective, harsh and desperate. It’s these little touches that make a move really engaging.

I would say this film is not as good as Wonder Woman (’17), but it definitely beats Aquaman (‘18). With the clear separation between the dark movies like Batman v Superman (‘16) and Man of Steel (’13), it was a breath of fresh air. In hindsight, they needed to build their shared universe slowly.

Shazam! could have and should have been DC’s Ironman. Start with some of the lesser known heroes, an original story as needed, build up their follow-

ing, and then start adding more of the mainstream heroes.

There are a lot of great messages and takeaways from Shazam! Stories of what family is, what characteristics make a hero, and Edna Mode from The Incredibles (’04) was right “No Capes.” Like a lightning bolt from the heavens, this movie could be the one that powers up a whole new way of looking at DC hero films.

Danai Gurai Discusses Avengers End Game

By Samantha Ofole-Prince

B

lack Panther introduced Okoye to the world. The best fighter in Wakanda and head of the Dora Milaje, the all-female Wakandan Special Forces.

Okoye’s fearless strength was admired by many and for actress Danai Gurira, best known for her immensely popular role of the katana-wielding Michonne in the hit AMC series The Walking Dead, playing that character really resonated with her.

“What I love about Okoye is that she is very unapologetic and she is a traditionalist in the sense that she believes in the sovereignty of her nation. That really resonated with me because I was raised on the continent and seeing a country like Wakanda which has had no history of colonization became so powerful.”

Speaking at the press conference of Avengers: Endgame, which follows the remaining superheroes, after a grave course of events set in motion by Thanos fractured the Avengers ranks, Gurira talked about being drawn to Okoye’s complexities.

“She doesn’t have rage issues. She loves her life, she loves her country, she loves her people and she will do whatever it takes to take care of

Danai Gurira at the Avengers- Endgame press conference

what must be done and there is a fierceness that I think she has about her. She unapologetically embraces her femininity and its been fun to get to see her in all these different ways and be a part of the Marvel Universe.”

Born in the U.S. but raised in Zimbabwe, Gurira is an award-winning playwright known for compelling exploration of African characters and their stories.

“As a playwright, I write about African stories and try to tell them in the Western context,” she continues, “so to see African characters showcased in an epic platform is exciting. Black Panther really brought to light the beautiful components of women from Africa within the context of the power of this prosperous, selfsufficient unseen kingdom that is not affected by all outside influences.”.

Tune in to Denver 89.3FM, Breckenridge 89.7FM, Vail 88.5FM or download our app today and listen anytime, anywhere.

kuvo.org

LOU DONALDSON

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Denver Deltas Continued from page 6 and the need for us to give back to our community and be a part of the solution, to be a part of positive change that is going to make our communities thrive and be better.”

While churches are typically assumed to be the cornerstones of African American communities, our sororities and fraternities are the mortar that enables educated professionals and organizational members from all walks of life to directly impact progress and affect change. The relationship between religious institutions and fraternal organizations is symbiotic, bringing people together to give and receive help with a common mission to do the greatest good. Several churches throughout the MetroDenver community have close relationships with African American fraternities and sororities and the members who sit in their congregations. Shorter

African Methodist Episcopal Church has been a long-time supporter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The relationship allows both organizations to maximize their impact throughout the community and implement several programs that benefit high school students and graduates, while boosting confidence and self-esteem.

In addition to college readiness programming, the Denver Alumnae Chapter has partnered with Gateway High School in Aurora to facilitate the Empowering Males to Build Opportunities for Developing Independence (EMBODI) program, which addresses the developmental needs of African-American and other males of color ages 14 to 18, with an evolving focus on education, physical health, social and emotional issues, sexuality, economics, and politics. The program serves as a motivational tool for African American and other teenage males of

color with the ultimate goal of increasing their knowledge and awareness of issues affecting young men of color today.

Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. embodies the age-old adage, ‘To whom much is given much is expected.’ Increasing social, economic, and political strain has forged the country into a time of uncertainty, requiring the action and inspiration of a strong society of women who share the common purpose of community advancement.

Webb, with a history of excellence in leadership and service, shares her perspective on Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s, ongoing contributions to social progress, “In today’s world, Delta has been a voice and an active force for justice where unjust acts of violence are perpetrated on African Americans and other people of color, or where bigotry harms people. In recent memory, Delta has been a pillar for the advancement of eradicating the low number of

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professionals who are people of color in disciplines such as medical physicians and other care providers. There are so many other areas of need that Delta is actively involved in today to make a difference in today’s world. The involvement of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. is evidenced by its outstanding 106 years and the Denver Alumnae Chapter’s exemplary 80 years of service, scholarship, and sisterhood. Today, this organization continues to be vocal, impactful, caring, supportive, and utilizes the power of love to improve the world. This I know.”

The 80-year celebration of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is a time of reflection and remembrance as generations of women are thanked for their dedicated service to the communities they call home. .

Editor’s note: For more information visit www.denverdeltas.org. For tickets, visit www.thepowerofred. com or email djharvell@yahoo.com.

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Continued from page 14 Blueprint4SummerCO lists a number of low-cost and free options for families on the website to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to access. In 2018, over half of the listings on the site were free or low cost and over half of the summer providers offered scholarships. In addition, ReSchool, distributed more than $50,000 in scholarships in 2018, paying for or significantly reducing the cost of out of school experiences for 195 kids. ReSchool is on track to distribute more than $50,000 in out of school scholarships, most of which will go to summerexperiences, again in 2019.

Reschool is seeking further impact by partnering with organizations whose summer scholarship funds sometimes go unused to ensure more youth from low-income families know about these opportunities.

Additional studies demonstrate the positive impacts of out-of-school learning. For example, out-of-school experiences offer important ways for students to develop academic skills like critical thinking and problem solving, as well as social-emotional skills such as persistence and teamwork.

These experiences may be especially important for low-income students and students of color, who are less likely to have access to teachers and curricula that develop these skills in school. (CRPE Education Equality in the Future).

“The most impactful learning experiences most people have in their lifetimes occur in places and spaces outside of school,” said Amy Anderson, Executive Director at ReSchool Colorado.

“Yet, most efforts in education today focus exclusively on how to improve schools. This is what makes ReSchool unique. While it is very important for kids to have a solid home base of a school, what is equally, if not more important, is to have access to enriching learning experiences and meaningful

relationships with a diversity of people beyond school.”

"ReSchool is doing the right work by being intentional that there are programming options on Blueprint4SummerCO rooted in history and different cultures. It is so important for kids to feel both seen in what they participate in and to gain context.” said Claudia Moran of Museo de las Americas.

Parents with children ages 318 can search for activities on Blueprint4SummerCO based on any number of preferences such as age, gender, interests, cost and zip code – even special considerations such as sessions for students with disabilities or gifted students, those offering before and after care, or that have scholarships available. The website can be displayed in multiple languages through Google Translate and provides information about day camps, sleep-away camps and sports camps; art, music and science programs; free activities, and academic enrichment courses.

Over 3,000 summer sessions were listed on the Blueprint4SummerCO website in 2018, and ReSchool plans to add thousands more in 2019.

New this year, the Blueprint4SummerCO website now includes a database of opportunities for high schoolaged students preparing for college. For example, students can attend experiences to prepare for college level music courses, conduct research on a topic of interest, find a paid internship, join a community service institute to earn college credit, take a dance or swim camp to prepare for college level competitions, learn about college admissions and living, and prepare for ACT or SAT tests.

For more information about Blueprint4SummerCO, to learn about programs and to connect with other parents online, “like” Blueprint4SummerCO on Facebook or follow on Twitter and Instagram..

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New Covenant Christian Church Alpha & Omega Ministries 20th Annual Women of the Cross 7 Last Words Good Friday Service

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Colorado Beautillion Girlfriends High Tea

Photos by Jhasmyne Cooper and Duane Kuta Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – May 2019

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