Denver Urban Spectrum - Dr. MLK Jr. - January 2024

Dr. Dedrick Sims Founder Sims-Fayola Foundation

Sims-Fayola Foundation creating more pathways to success for young males of color… 4

R. Alan Brooks portrays Colorado’s comic “Cowboy” history..................8 MLK Day 2024: Has Dr. King’s dream been realized?................................10 Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo celebrates 40 years of education & entertainment.............................................15-18

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MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

Volume 37

Number 10

January 2024

PUBLISHER Rosalind J. Harris ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Brittany N. Winkfield GENERAL MANAGER Lawrence A. James MANAGING and COPY EDITOR Ruby Jones COLUMNIST Barry Overton CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Christen Aldridge Ruby Jones Wayne Trujillo LaQuane Smith

This issue of Denver Urban Spectrum marks the first of 2024. We begin the year by commemorating civil rights leader, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “America: Then & Now” explores equality in the civil rights era versus today.

Each year in January, the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo presents the MLK African American Heritage Rodeo of Champions, further celebrating the freedom fighter. The event highlights Bill Pickett and other Black cowboys and cowgirls for their contributions to the American West. Christen Aldridge provides an overview of the “Cowboy” exhibit at the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art, delving deeper into the life of Black frontiersmen as depicted by graphic artist R. Alan Brooks.

Mentorship is abundant this month, with Wayne Trujillo’s cover story featuring the Sims-Fayola Foundation and its reinvigorating partnership with the My Brother’s Keeper initiative. Local school districts are gearing up for a successful spring with Denver Public Schools beginning registrations for its Achieving Excellence Academy program. LaQuane Smith introduces Aurora Public School Board member, Tiffany Tasker, and discusses her inspiration and vision for the district.

This month’s issue also features a federal landmark designation for the historically significant Lincoln Hills, and a presidential lifetime achievement award bestowed upon a ground-breaking pilot. It pays tribute to men and women whose sacrifices created a better life whether toward the expansion of the country or the protection of civil rights for its people.

January is a great time to set goals for the year ahead! Our goal is to keep you educated and entertained with the coverage of this year’s news and events.

Happy New Year!

Ruby Jones DUS Editor

SPECIAL PROJECTS ASSISTANT Tanya Ishikawa ART DIRECTOR Bee Harris GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jody Gilbert - Kolor Graphix SOCIAL MEDIA / DIGITAL MARKETING Melovy Melvin DISTRIBUTION Lawrence A. James - Manager

Denver Urban Spectrum is a monthly publication dedicated to spreading the news about people of color. Contents of Denver Urban Spectrum are copyright 2024 by Bizzy Bee Enterprise. No portion may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

Denver Urban Spectrum circulates 25,000 copies throughout Colorado. 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 Denver Urban Spectrum at P.O. Box 31001, Aurora, CO 80041.

For advertising, subscriptions, or other information, call 303-292-6446, email publisher@urbanspectrum or visit the Website at www.denverurbanspectrum.com.

LETTERS, OPINIONS, OP-EDS... people that he’s bringing his luggage and its “Luie” as in Louis Vuitton. He told about 100 players to hop into the transfer portal because there’s about to be change. This was a change that was witnessed by about 70 players. Many outside the University of Colorado didn't sit well with his honesty.

Many of the national media were not happy with Sanders and his “direct style” approach.

Sanders has always been a person and player that has been able to “walk the walk.”

People went in to label him “Celebrity Coach,” with a team that had the worst roster in all of college football. Sanders let it be known that his ears are open and he will not forget about those who doubted his skills as a coach. “Keeping receipts” is what he called it. He also told opposing teams they better get him now.

Many went in on Sanders, for what reason? He was a man who had coached on every level from little league, high school to a Power 5 program. Sanders was able to bring in five-star recruits for three years in a row, starting with Travis Hunter, then Cormani McClain and the most recent, Jordan Seaton.

Coach Prime, Keeping Receipts Op-ed by Dex Hopes Deion Sanders was named the next head football coach for the University of Colorado on Dec. 3, 2022.

The football program had suffered many years of losing; the previous year having only one victory.

Sanders, affectionately known as ‘Coach Prime,” had just finished a three year run at Jackson State, an HBCU, where he had a 27-6 coaching record.

Sanders turned Jackson State back into a powerhouse program.

Not only did Sanders improve the win/loss record, he also put up his own money to improve the schools practice field and did a makeover of the team's locker room.

Sanders gave back to his own – the people who look like him, dress and talk like him.

Sanders, with his arrival at Colorado let it be known that he’s about winning by telling a packed auditorium full of current players, staff and media

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Sanders has something that many other programs in the Power 5 do not – he’s able to connect on a different scale. He has been able to go into the living rooms and talk to recruits and parents who have the same skin tone as his – Black. He can relate to what some of these inner city players have gone through. Sanders has served as a father figure and mentor to those who do not have such positive role models.

Coach Prime will let anyone within earshot know that he’s a man of Christ, ending every interview by saying “God Bless.”

Coach Prime reminds his players they are in a position to change their family structure and lift them up, not only with a path to the NFL, but by finishing school with a degree. The 2023 season ended with losing six games in a row after starting the season 3-0.

Colorado was able to sell out every home game and bring in millions of viewers. Sanders has his sights set on a better season; a season that will once again have many doubters. Coach Prime is ready and as prepared as he always has been. This season will be different for another reason, he’s “Keeping Receipts.'' .

Dr. Dedrick Sims CEO,Sims-Fayola Foundation

Sims-Fayola Foundation & My Brother’s Keeper 2.0 Are On the Move A revitalized powerhouse of mentorship for young males of color.

By Wayne Trujillo

Dr. Dedrick Sims launched the Sims-Fayola Foundation (SFF) in 2014 with a dream and a $30,000 loan from personal funds. His dream wasn’t based on the fantastical premise that the foundation would glide into a quick and smooth finish, waving a “mission accomplished” banner within a few short years. As a youth, he experienced both abuse and addiction in his childhood home; and while working as an educator and witnessing Black and Latino male youth trampled and ignored by the status quo, Sims realized the hurdles and distance ahead.

easily summarized, on a curriculum vitae. His premise for SFF was based on the idea that education is a constant effort.

He doesn’t consider the educational experience to merely reside in the classroom and abruptly pause when the final bell signals the school day’s end. Likewise, spring, summer and other assorted breaks aren’t an excuse or respite from duties that he considers obligatory – not only to teachers and school administrators, but also to parents, businesses and the overarching community.

Such ambitious aspirations initially chafed against existing expectations that educators should serve as disciplinarians – rather than counselors – of atrisk male youths of color. While some may consider Sims’ efforts to be a lost cause, he views them as a conceivable challenge; albeit one requiring patience and perseverance.

Sims spoke with Denver Urban Spectrum two weeks

Dr. Sims and Jack Hamlin from Sargent & Lundy (far right), sponsor for Sims-Fayola Foundation Suits 4 Success program, an initiative that also provides resume writing and mock interviewing opportunities.

there’s still work to be done in order to fulfill his initial aspirations from the foundation’s launch. He’s excited about the enduring journey to propel youth of color past and through pitfalls that often end in deferred dreams and poverty, at best; incarceration and death, at worst.

Black and Latino boys seldom envision a place for themselves outside their immediate circumstances and environment. Sims’ own experience with mentors inspired him to pass along and pay forward encouragement.

“This foundation is an extension of everything that I needed as a kid,” he explains, as a prime impetus for the organization’s existence and efforts. “I grew up in a pretty tough situation. My mom was a drug addict and there was some abuse going on in the house. It was teachers who saved my life; it was teachers who showed me something out of my four-block radius. When I knew there was more, then I started to strive for more. Our

Fayola Men from the 2023 Sims-Fayola Foundation’s Summer Leadership Academy for young men in middle school at Vista Academy on the Evie Garrett Dennis Campus

While Sims’ professional resume is impressive, many of his most valuable skills were developed through extracurricular experiences and endeavors neither compatible with, nor

before Christmas, and it’s apparent that he is grateful for SFF’s considerable successes over nearly a decade. While he’s thankful, it’s also apparent that he’s still not satisfied – that

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foundation focuses on mentoring, socio-emotional learning and support, financial literacy and all those things.”

With many boys of color suffering from “social isolation,” Sims realizes the importance of presenting broader horizons – not only geographical, but also personal and professional – to encourage ambition and determination. He targets SFF’s programming outside the classrooms.

“That’s what led me to start the foundation…To be able to have something that not only had practical services for the boys, but that could be an advocate for what we needed as boys of color; not only in the schools, but also in the community in general,” he explains.

The scope of work is broader than the traditional concept of a teacher’s job description, but Sims peers past conventional terms and norms to upend systemic neglect and failed outcomes.

A Grand Vision SFF’s Strategic Vision Overview presents the problem

in stark and succinct words, all based on academic research.

Both Black and Hispanic male youth fall behind their white peers in reading proficiency by the fourth grade, and receive disciplinary actions at higher rates throughout the remainder of their educational experience through 12th grade.

SFF’s strategic vision references other disturbing and debilitating statistics supported with cited research. It references the perception of Black males through a “criminal lens,” and with Black male youth dismissed as “aggressive,” “troublemakers,” “too active,” “hyperactive,” and “dangerous.” Sims strives to change those preconceptions and any associated self-fulfilling consequences.

While the organization’s goals are lofty, the commitment and risk required to achieve them are even more towering.

In nine short years, Sims has steered SFF from a startup – based on raw experiences, dreams, and goals – into a “multimillion dollar organization” with operations in multiple states.

“I bet on myself,” he reflects.

“Nine and a half years later, (we) survived the pandemic, because we do good work.” He observes that good work attracted funding through grants and fee-for-service endeavors to increase staff, operations and reach.

Arriving at this point wasn’t without challenges. Sims recalls early efforts to secure grants explaining, “You have to prove yourself. There were a couple of years where we went through this proving period with our programming. No grantor would give us any funds until we showed proof of concept and showed what we were doing.”

Proof of concept came through applying strategic solutions and creating tangible results. A significant aspect of

challenges and choices, and avoid the outcomes that often plague these boys and young men. The SFF formula further explores and applies three avenues to achieve results: Building Awareness, Building Capacity and Building Equity

by Design.

Building Awareness, the first route to fulfillment, gives voice to young males of color, relaying their opinions, desires and needs to educators and organizations

SFF’s successful concept relies on socio-emotional learning.

The Committee for Children describes socio-emotional learning as “the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control and interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work and life success.”

The committee’s description is aligned with Sims’ efforts to provide young males of color with tools within and outside the classroom to navigate life’s

charged with serving, sponsoring and directing them. One primary platform the organization developed to grant these youth a podium is the “Boys Are Talking” forum series. Sims describes this forum series as an opportunity for 10 boys to respond directly to power players such as educators, city council members and state legislators to discover if their programs hinder or help.

Continued on page 6

X

Denver Urban Spectrum and KGNU Radio present a magazine-style community news radio program that amplifies the voices and stories from people engaged in progressive action work in the metro Denver area and surrounding communities.This month we highlight the work at the Sims Fayola Foundation with Dedrick Sims, PhD. We have a conversation with a real cowboy and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Stream on kgnu.org and denverurbanspectrum.com Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – January 2024

5

SFF and MBK Continued from page 5

include them as a part of the work. Then when it doesn’t go

capacity to deliver their services through an equity lens.”

According to the SFF Strategic Vision Overview, these endeavors include the Empowered Ambition Youth Development Program, Fayola Man Summer Leadership Academy, Fayola Man Career Academy, Community Mentoring Program and Community Virtual Mentoring Program. Interestingly, SFF mentors other service providers that work with young males of color.

The Empowered Ambition Youth Development program, which engages youth in socioemotional learning practices that encourage lifelong success, is the organization’s signature program.

Building Equity by Design unites SFF with the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Denver chapter in efforts to “support the development and growth of programs and schools through an equity lens.” MBK’s objec-

Fayola Men and Sims-Fayola Foundation Empowerment Coaches engaging in outdoor experiences and fishing as part of the Sims-Fayola Foundation’s Fayola Man Career Academy (FMCA).

Sims describes the impetus for the Building Awareness focus area. “One of the reasons why I created that program is that we typically do things ‘to’ these young men and not necessarily ‘with’ them,” he explains.

“They’re rarely a part of their own solution. We have all these programs and things we want them to do – it all comes from our best intentions, but we don’t include their voice and

right, we struggle to understand why.”

Historically, Black and Latino youth haven’t been encouraged to speak up to authority. There have been even less opportunities to assist authority figures in charting and structuring their educational and societal paths.

Building Capacity involves coaching and guiding organizations “that want to increase their

tive is to “disrupt and rebuild” systemic barriers and practices that discourage the success of young males of color.

Power In Partnership MBK is a national mentorship effort created during President Barack Obama’s administration.

The former president created the signature program as a six-point plan designed to support young boys and men of color before and after formal education. The collaboration between SFF and MBK’s Denver Chapter is a particular point of pride and satisfaction for Sims, who was honored when former Denver Mayor Michael Hancock awarded stewardship of the chapter to SFF before exiting office.

“Now we are the backbone for Denver for My Brother’s Keeper,” he states. He describes the milestones named in the sixpoint plan, starting with the boys “entering school healthy and ready to learn. The second

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Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – January 2024

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[milestone] is reading at grade level by grade three. The third one is graduating on time. The fourth is access to post-secondary education. The fifth is access to the workforce. The sixth is the right to exist without violence, and to get second chances.”

While the steps outlined as milestones in the six-point plan offer guidelines and guide posts, they are a bit more complicated than the cinematic “follow-the-yellow-brick road” instruction presented in Hollywood fantasies like the Wizard of Oz. Each milestone involves complexity, dexterity and determination – its successes are no fantasy.

“Over the last nine and a half years, we’ve served a little north of 16,000 young men,” Sims states. “We’ve also provided support and workshops for a little greater than 6,000 youth service professionals.

Also, one of the best stats I could give you is that over the last nine and a half years of the young men who’ve completed our programming, we’ve reduced suspensions, truancies and negative discipline referrals that have to do with violence by greater than 60% in each one of those categories.”

SFF & MBK 2.0 SFF’s primary focus in past years rested on reactive work, attempting to correct the damage done through inequitable systems and attitudes of indifference. Now, SFF and the MBK Denver Chapter have set their collective sights on a proactive course. One of the efforts the organizations are working in tandem to correct is the retention of male educators of color. With only 4% of Black or Latino male teachers, mentorship through the first three years of their careers is being devoted to support workplace sustainability.

The importance of having teachers who resemble and resonate with male students of color makes efforts to support

Theatre Education at the DCPA Coach Emmanuel Nwaneto presents the Fayola Man of the Week certificate to a summer academy cohort mentee.

| |

male educators of color even more urgent. Sims observes that the lessons shared by teachers who relate to students can be delivered with more authenticity and extend past standard curriculum. Without shared similarity and personal identification with a teacher, Sims states connection with both the teachers and lessons “will not seem as deep, it’s going to seem more technical, and it’s not going to resonate.”

Additional proactive activities to revitalize the educational experience of young males of color include “systems changes,” plans to “influence” policy makers and designs, and “being at the top, being at the table.” With a relaunch of MBK’s Denver Chapter in January, Sims plans to realize and transform these dreams into realities and results through the collective efforts of SFF and MBK. "Right now we are a singularly-focused nonprofit, engaging in a lot of reactive work with program level impact," he relays. "For the past six months, using the MBK platform, we've been putting the infrastructure in place to transition into a collective-impact organization engaging in both reactive and proactive work with the goal of population-level impact for young men of color in the Denver Metro area. In January, we will announce the relaunch of My Brother's Keeper Denver!

We are calling it MBK 2.0 Reimagining Our Impact.".

Editor’s Note: To learn more about SFF, visit www.sffoundation.org.

Sponsored by

DENVERCENTER.ORG/EDUCATION Photo by McLeod9 Creative

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – January 2024

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Graphic History at MCA’s “Cowboy” Exhibit Local comic book writer and illustrator shines a light on Dearfield, Colorado.

By Christen Aldridge

R.

Alan Brooks is living his dream. The comic book artist and writer teaches graphic novel writing for Regis University’s Master of Fine Arts program, writes for Colorado Sun’s comic series “What Did I Miss?” and has two graphic novels under his belt.

Now, with an exciting new feature at Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) the dynamic creator has added “museum artist” to his portfolio.

“Cowboy” opened in September, and will be featured through Feb. 18. The exhibit highlights Dearfield, Colorado, and explores romanticized, mythological perspectives of early frontiersmen while capturing the historical significance of their indispensable contributions to western American expansion.

Curated by Nora Burnett Abrams, Mark G. Falcone, senior curator Ellen Bruss and MCA Director Miranda Lash, the distinctive exhibit questions the myth of cowboy culture. It challenges visitors to delve into

Dearfield with his family. This sparked the inspiration for his featured piece, “My Dearfield Dream.”

MCA is the second museum that has featured Brooks’ work.

His first exhibit was a comic strip about famed Black cowboy, Nat Love, and was so wellreceived that it remains on display on the 7th floor of the Denver Art Museum’s Martin Building. He was commissioned again for Denver Art Museum’s exhibit, “Saints, Sinners, Lovers and Fools: 300 Years of Flemish Masterworks,” creating a graphic novel – and one of the first known works – based on the biblical Black King Balthazar.

With a visually chronological twist on history, Brooks highlights early American history and humanizes the myth of the American cowboy. His unique perspective and portrayal of Black men and women and their navigation of the western landscape is a valuable contribution to art and history.

archetypes of masculinity, examine assumptions about early relationships to the expansive western territory and cultivate a greater understanding of how diversity shaped the American West.

Brooks is one of 27 artists who represent Asian American, Latino and Indigenous communities and perspectives, dismantling the stereotypes and homogenous archetypes of cowboys through a variety of mixed media installations. His contribution is the only comic strip, and represents the love and support between a Black father and son from the lens of the Black experience on the Western range.

“I have done a lot of stuff dealing with Black cowboys,” says Brooks, who was inspired by learning about the Dearfield settlement. “I was like ‘Dope!’ I have never heard of this town before; I have to do my research.”

Dearfield, located approximately 70 miles northeast of Denver in Weld County, was the largest Black homesteading settlement in Colorado. While researching the town’s history at the Black American West Museum in the historic district of Five Points, Brooks came across a picture of the founder of the Tuskegee Institute, Booker T. Washington, visiting

Black Cowboys One in four cowboys were Black. During the late 1800s – after slavery ended – freed slaves traveled to the West looking for new life and opportunity. They were referred to as “Exodusters,” many working as cowhands that were assigned to handle horses with poor tem-

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peraments and wild behaviors with horse-breaking practices.

Nat Love, Bill Pickett, Mary Fields and Sylvia Fields are a few notable Black men and women cemented in history as cowboys and cowgirls. For them and others, the West offered a taste of equality, with pay that exceeded the meager earnings in the South.

“We accomplished so much as cowboys, and the world needs to learn that,” Brooks points out, referencing monolithic depictions of white men like John Wayne, who are glorified by pop-culture. The idea that Wayne and other heroic men wrangled the West and protected vulnerable white settlers from any trepidations that would infringe upon their newly colonized way of life is a narrative that erases contributions made by Black people.

Whether Black settlements, Black explorers or Black cowboys, the history of the American West is incomplete without remembering that members of the Black community were movers and shakers during a significant era of expansion.

Colorado’s Early Black History Entrepreneur, Oliver Toussaint “O.T.” Jackson, founded the Negro Town site and Land Company with aspirations of forming a Black town.

Unfortunately, the company was unsuccessful; but in 1911, he succeeded in founding the Dearfield settlement.

Nineteen settlers trekked to Dearfield and inhabited dugouts, burning cow chips for fuel.

By 1915, there were 44 cabins in the homestead. The town prospered during World War 1, when its agricultural products were in high demand. The success signaled more Black settlers to make Dearfield their home, with a recorded population of 300 between 1917 and 1921.

In 1918 the homesteaders managed to produce marketable crops, netting about $50,000. The profit was used toward the purchase of new farm equipment, home improvements and to buy additional livestock. Businesses also started to flock to Dearfield, which was home to a concrete block manufacturing company, lumber and coal yard, boarding house and hotel.

The settlement cultivated culture and community, with the Dearfield Lunchroom community center, a school, two churches, annual festivals and a lifestyle that garnered the attention of prominent people like Washington and Colorado Governor, George Carlson.

By 1925, Dearfield’s population had dwindled, and severe drought in the 1930s paired with the economic ramifications of the Great Depression brought the great settlement to its end, with many residents migrating to Denver and other cities.

Today, there are a few deserted buildings that remain where Dearfield once boomed. A gas station, diner, and Jackson’s home are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and memorialized with a monument and plaque containing information about the site’s history.

Humanizing Black Men “My Dearfield Dream” shatters negative stereotypes of absenteeism among Black fathers.

“The media I make humanizes the Black man,” Brooks states. “I wanted to emphasize the importance of fatherhood.”

The subject of his featured contribution is that of a father dreaming about falling into the historic Dearfield settlement and overhearing a conversation between the now-grown sons of Washington and Jackson. The men discussed the importance of a Black town and each of their father’s ideas of how to make the town successful. On the last slide, the dreaming father awakens and discusses the importance of Dearfield with his own son – speaking in an unusual Western dialect that puzzles the boy.

“I was inspired by the relationship I have with my father and I wanted to show this type of positive relationship between a Black father and Black son,” Brooks says. “Black men are depicted as brutes in the media.

I am trying to change that image.”

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Looking Ahead “Art has the power to scare dictators, inspire multitudes and change hearts and minds across the world,” Brooks said at a 2020 TEDxMileHigh Talk.

His graphic representation of American cowboys is a captivating glance into history from the perspective of underrepresented people who helped shape the nation, but whose early contributions are often overlooked. “I want our young people to be proud and know that Black cowboys are very much a part of our history.”

Brooks, who hosts MCA’s “How Art is Born” podcast, hopes that his comic strip for the “Cowboy” exhibit will educate others about Black cowboys and the fascinating journey of migration from a new perspective. .

Editor’s Note: Learn more about R. Alan Brooks at www.ralanwriters.com and visit www.mcadenver.org for exhibit details.

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Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – January 2024

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303.871.7720

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader known for his nonviolent approach to civil disobedience through protest, involvement in the Black church and poignant delivery of impassioned speeches. He is one of the most respected and beloved figures in history, representing a promise of equality and justice for every American citizen.

For the duration of King’s leadership, he was terrorized, antagonized and even jailed, but his spirit was never broken.

From behind the bars of a Birmingham jail, he famously wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” yet the iconic proponent of peace drew the ire of the American government and was ultimately targeted as a threat to national security.

Fifty six years have passed since the assassination of the civil rights activist and political philosopher. As his birthday draws near, reflections of the time since the Civil Rights Movement call into question whether modern America is the embodiment of his dream, or if economic, social and political advancement is a mere facade of equality and a dream deferred.

The Birth of a King

Born in Atlanta on Jan. 15, 1929, King was raised in a respectable, middle-class family. His parents were col-

America: Then & Now

An exploration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s influence and impact over time

By Ruby Jones

officer. Nine months later, Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist and NAACP youth council leader who had been trained in civil disobedience followed suit, refusing to give up her seat on a segregated public bus.

King was targeted for his leadership of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) activism group, and quickly gained a reputation as a leader of the people. Violence plagued his family as angry white supremacists threatened and persecuted him, even bombing his home in January 1956. Instead of walking away from the fight, he gained the strength and courage to carry on.

Public Enemy Number One

lege-educated, and both his father and grandfather were Baptist preachers. By the time he was 15-years old, he was enrolled at the prestigious Morehouse College, studying medicine and law before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology at age 19 and going on to earn a Bachelor of Divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary and Doctor of Philosophy degree from Boston University.

King’s childhood was marred by a sudden awareness of racial prejudice at age 6.

After spending a summer in Connecticut before his first year of college, he became aware of the stark contrast between the racially segregated environment of his upbringing and racial integration in the North.

While studying at Boston University, King met Coretta Scott. The two married in 1953 and made a transformative relocation to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1954.

The Ultimate Fight Jim Crow Laws had divided the South for over half a century before King moved back to Montgomery from Boston.

Black people were under constant threat of terror by the Ku Klux Klan, had been stripped of their rights en masse, were prohibited from participating in government and were living in heavily oppressive conditions without access to systems, facilities or privileges enjoyed by heir white counterparts.

Tensions continued to rise across the South as Black people were prohibited from the use of equal public facilities.

In Montgomery, the segregated public transportation system became the focal point of the demand for civil rights in 1955, when 15-year old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on a bus. She was arrested and charged with violating segregation law, disorderly conduct and assaulting a police

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A great deal of economic, social and political change occurred during the Civil Rights Movement due to King’s actions and influence. Laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1957 were put in place to protect the rights of Black citizens.

During his early involvement with MIA in the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, King became the subject of heavy federal surveillance. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) director J. Edgar Hoover accused him of being influenced by Communists after he publicly disparaged the agency for its inaction toward civil rights violations in the South.

Despite the adoption of King’s “I Have A Dream” speech as one of history’s most iconic and beloved public appeals for equality, FBI

Deputy Director William Sullivan further criminalized him due to the mass admiration and recognition he received.

“We must mark him now, if we have not done so before, as the most dangerous Negro of the future in this Nation from the standpoint of communism, the Negro, and national security,” Sullivan wrote in an FBI memorandum.

After advocating for social and political equality, the last fight of King’s life was for economic equality. He traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to support Black sanitation workers in their protest against unsafe conditions and unfair treatment in the 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike. On Apr. 3, he gave his final speech, and on Apr. 4, he was assassinated with a single bullet while standing on the second floor balcony of his motel.

Following King’s assassination, the nation erupted in violence like a powder keg that had been stored in the heat of nonviolent protest for too long.

More than 40 people died in riots around the country, prompting a wave of criminalization that would contribute to the erasure of many of the Civil Rights Movements advancements.

Under the administrations of Johnson and Nixon, reversionary interests in the criminalization of Black people crushed social justice advancements made during the Civil Rights Era. The ensuing chain of events call into question whether the economic, social and political equality that King lived – and died for – were ever really achieved.

One Step Forward, 400 Years Back Progress made during the Civil Rights Movement laid the foundation for continued advancement in some areas, but significant regression in other areas remains problematic for the Black community. With

modernized technologies and industries, the problems are increasingly complex, enshrouded by layers of systemic oppression that creates direct and indirect effects.

King’s “I Have a Dream,” speech is remembered as a guiding light for equality in America and the world.

However, the speech is often misinterpreted as the simple suggestion that segregation be Continued on page 12

BENEFITS OF

MASSAGE THERAPY The practice of using touch as a healing method derives from customs and techniques rooted in ancient history. Civilizations in the East and West found that natural healing and massage could heal injuries, relieve pain, and prevent and cure illnesses.

What’s more, it helped reduce stress and produce deep relaxation.

The history of massage therapy dates back to China and Egypt in approximately 2700 B.C. The Egyptians and Chinese implement massage as a medical treatment believing health issues were caused by imbalances of energy in the body.

In India around 3000 BCE , massage was considered a sacred system of natural healing.

Through the early part of the 20th century, an increasing number of new and rediscovered massage techniques were documented and practiced. In particular, massage was used to treat World War I patients who suffered from nerve injury or shell shock.

However, massage remained out of the mainstream as a form of treatment for many years. It was perceived as a luxury reserved for the wealthy. Furthermore, its reputation endured another unsavory period with the advent (the beginning of liturgical year in Western Christianity) of massage parlors where the practice became associated with the sex trade. Massage was never intended to be a sexual practice.

Many doctors and practitioners had to prove the healing components of massage not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well.

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In the latter half of the 20th century, rising interest in natural healing methods revitalized massage. More and more states started to regulate the practice, and industry standards in licensing and education emerged. As a result, massage earned a place as a legitimate and respectable form of alternative and complementary medicine and because recognized in society’s wellness boom—the focus on disease prevention through maintaining wellness.

Today, massage therapists practice a multitude of techniques originating from ancient methods and evolved into a relaxing and therapeutic practice.

From those roots, they remain inspired by a goal cultivated centuries ago – to help others heal their physical and emotional well-being and experience a higher quality of life. Today, massage therapy stands as a highly respected career in holistic health practiced across the world. Here’s how massage has evolved into the relaxing and therapeutic practice it is today. Over the next 12 months, we will be expressing the benefits of massage more in depth so you can be more aware of how significant it can be. There are numerous reasons to get a massage but every month we will be giving key reasons to receive a massage.

Over the next 12 months, we will be demonstrating and explaining several benefits of massage. To learn more about this topic, please visit our monthly blog on http://atouchofdawn.com or our monthly advertorial in this publication. Please take advantage of receiving a massage at a spa or practitioner near you, or feel free to contact us at the website stated above to schedule a session.

Dawn Woods-Sapp, LMT A Touch of Dawn LLC

303-478-5974

atouchofdawnmt@gmail.com

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Continued from page 11 reversed and equality be restored to mankind. “Little Black boys and Black girls [joining] hands with little white boys and white girls,” says little of the social restructuring that would be needed to create true equity within systems whose framework rests on the idea that Black people are subhuman.

Equality and equity are similar words with vastly different meanings. Equality means that each person is given the same resources or opportunities as everyone else. With hundreds of years of oppression supporting the disenfranchisement of the Black community, simply providing access to the same resources that have been utilized to build generational wealth among the white population would be inadequate.

Equity recognizes each person’s unique circumstances and provides access to resources needed to reach equal economic, social and political outcomes. By focusing less on the content of King’s most famous speech and considering the context of his message, it becomes apparent that the Black community has not yet reached “the mountaintop,” or promise of freedom in America.

Economic Equality

The earliest American economic labor organizations were temporary unions, which

allowed workers to collectively demand increased wages, negotiate contracts and ensure workplace safety. King supported labor rights and the organization of labor unions, referencing the importance of collectivism in the fight for civil rights.

Great progress has been made to safeguard worker’s rights. Today, worker’s rights are regulated by the United States Department of Labor, which identifies fundamental principles and rights at work such as protections for collective bargaining, forced and child labor, workplace anti-discrimination and safety.

Along with worker’s rights, “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” programs and policies that encourage diversity in the workplace have been implemented to help improve organizational culture.

Despite workplace protections, economic equality has not been fully achieved.

The Black community has not fully recovered from the institutionalized and systemic racism and discrimination embedded in the policies and practices that affect its economic position as a whole. The institution of slavery stripped Black people of every financial, social and spiritual resource for hundreds of years, while white people benefited from free labor and the acquisition of assets.

In 2023, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis published a report on economic equality titled “The State of U.S. Wealth Inequality,” which highlights gaps in inflation-adjusted wealth by demographic groups.

The top 10% of households in the United States had an average wealth of $7 million, representing 69% of total household wealth. The bottom 50% of households had only $51,000, representing 2.5% of total household wealth. Black families were found to own only $0.24 for every $1 of white family wealth.

Social Equality

In the years since the abolition of slavery, the Black community has experienced drastic changes. The Reconstruction Era re-introduced captivity through imprisonment, and mass migration provided exposure to new opportunities and ways of life.

Despite a multitude of social and economic obstacles, the Black community transitioned from slavery and then sharecropping to educational advancement, business ownership, and prosperity. In the mid-1900s, a majority of Black women worked as domestic servants and Black men worked as servicemen, but today there are Black men and women working in every industry imaginable. The social benefit to Civil Rights Era legislation made way for Black people to advance from unskilled, lowpaying jobs to being able to compete at every level of occupational opportunity.

However, not every social change within the Black community since the Civil Rights Era has been positive.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the stigma associated with being Black faded away as Black people fought passionately for civil liberties. Pride was abundant, and Black culture was celebrated with the adoption of natural beauty trends and terms like “Afro-American” and “Black” replacing “colored” and “negro.”

Toward the end of King’s life and after his assassination, the Black community suffered a devastating setback with lasting implications.

In 1964, President Johnson declared a “War on Poverty,”

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with legislation meant to counter the negative effects of poverty. Just over a year later, he declared a “War on Crime,” viewing crime and poverty as interconnected and merging the sociological and economic factors that caused poverty with the criminalization of Blackness.

The War on Crime focused on poor urban Black neighborhoods, with increased policing and incarceration.

After King’s assassination, civil unrest fueled Johnson’s War on Crime. Meanwhile, the Vietnam War fueled a new problem entirely, which President Nixon targeted with a war declaration of his own – the “War on Drugs,” was announced in 1971. Each symbolic war resulted in higher incarceration rates than social reforms.

Today, over 2 million people are incarcerated in the United States, representing nearly 20% of the world’s prisoners. The 2022 U.S. Census reported that 13.6% of the United States population was Black, yet Black people make up 37% of the prison population.

The social impact of incarceration has affected the Black family and community structures greatly and the respectability culture of the mid-20th century has been largely replaced by changed social trends.

In the 1980s, the crack epidemic surged in urban areas throughout the United States, resulting in increased gang violence that worsened incarceration and further destroyed Black families and communities. Hip hop music, which originated in the early 1970s, underwent a transformation in the 1980s as the influence of gang culture bled into sex and violence-dominated lyrics.

Entertainment, which formerly highlighted rhythm-and-blues and soul talent, was now the soundtrack for a community that was straying further from the fight for equality and high-

However, the 2020 presidential election highlighted a troubling gap in voter turnout, with only 58.4% of nonwhite voters casting ballots. Distrust in the political system and disqualifications caused by criminal history continue to discourage people from voting.

As America experiences drastic social, technological and economic change, it is imperative that eligible voters participate in the political process.

Hotbed issues such as gun control, reproductive rights, immigration and technological privacy are at the center of current policy-making, and just as King pointed out, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

ry o t is H k c a l B e t a r b e l Ce E PARSONS THEATRE AT TH

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lighting the same materialism that King strictly opposed.

“We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society,” he warned.

Today, incarceration rates are higher than they’ve ever been.

Drug use continues to threaten community advancement, and mental health is a growing issue among Black men, women and children.

On the surface, social advancements such as integration and more favorable attitudes toward diversity are positive and lasting changes initiated by the Civil Rights movement, but socially inequitable discrimination and hyper criminalization have greatly disrupted progress. Structural changes are central to community building, and without the strong demand for equity that was seen from early civil rights leaders, the pace of positive change seems to have slowed.

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Honoring the Legacy

Political Equality

King fought for voting protections for Black people, knowing that the ability to elect judges and have a role in municipal decision-making would alleviate some of the injustice seen in courtrooms and communities around the country. “So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself,” he remarked.

Today, Black political participation is at an all-time high, with 62 Black members of the U.S. Congress – the most ever.

FEB 29 MAR 1

Before he died, King shared his vision of a better society, and outlined the steps necessary for the Black community to recover from the violent and oppressive history that stripped away basic human rights. He foretold of a future of great promise, saying, “We shall have to do more than register and more than vote; we shall have to create leaders who embody virtues we can respect, who have moral and ethical principles we can applaud with enthusiasm.”

In the 56 years since King left this earth, the integrated American society has made great strides toward equality, though much is left to do to ensure that each man, woman and child has an equitable chance at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. .

Editor’s Note: To read the full version of this article, visit www.DenverUrbanSpectrum.com.

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Live from Emmet’s Place

Emmet Cohen is Bringing Jazz to the Newman Center

By Justin Levy

J

azz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen’s love for music has produced a compelling and fruitful career as an artist. His work has led to such accomplishments as winning the 2019 American Pianist Award and being a finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition.

On Saturday, Feb. 3, the acclaimed musician will take the stage at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, delivering a jazz concert that highlights the sophisticated melody of the soulful genre.

Perhaps even more impressive than the numerous accolades garnered from his early beginnings playing piano at the age of 3, Cohen’s love for jazz inspired him to create the Master Legacy Series which celebrates the greats in jazz, as

well as the live-streamed “Live From Emmet’s Place” online series that has received millions of internet views.

The Master Legacy Series has featured such artists as Ron Carter, Benny Golson & Tootie Heath. A fifth volume was released back in October featuring jazz master and tenor saxophonist Houston Person. These recordings celebrate legendary jazz artists from an era longgone by documenting, featuring and preserving their artistry and excellence in the later stages of their careers. All About Jazz calls this series “top shelf and glowing.”

“Live From Emmet’s Place” is an ongoing live concert series held in the living room of Cohen’s Harlem apartment.

Beyond featuring such talent as 2023 Grammy-winning Best New Artist, Samara Joy, the concert series is connected to Harlem renaissance rent parties of the 1920’s. These rent parties helped Black tenants who faced discriminatory rental rates pay their rent.

One such tenant was the legendary pianist, Fats Weller.

“House rent parties were a facet of Harlem life even before the Depression,” Duke Ellington recalled. “An outgrowth of parlor socials and church suppers held to raise funds for church needs, house rent parties aimed at helping dwellers of Harlem’s railroad flats meet rents that skyrocketed monthly.”

Started during the COVID pandemic, “Live From Emmet’s

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Place” helped artists pay their bills while the world – especially the live music world – shut down. One recent comment posted online from a fan of the series shared, “I am 91 years old. Thank you for bringing my music back with a 21st century leap, but with all the old musicality and soul of the greats.”

Cohen is the real thing, playing music with modern sensibilities that is rooted in history.

He will be joined by Ruben Rogers on bass and Kyle Poole on drums, in a performance that is expected to be one of the concert highlights of 2024..

Editor’s Note: For tickets, visit www.newmancenterpresents.com or call 303-871-7720.

Presented by the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR), the legacy MLK Rodeo celebrates the history and heritage of America’s Black cowboys and cowgirls while paying tribute to the late civil rights leader who advocated for equality through nonviolent protest. The rodeo brings together generations of animal lovers and rodeo enthusiasts from Denver and surrounding areas.

Founded in 1984 by well-known entertainment manager and promoter, Lu Vason, BPIR highlights the vast contributions made by Black cowboys and cowgirls throughout periods of western American expansion.

The Roots of Black Rodeo The history of Black settlement in the American West is largely unrecorded, but efforts to recount the early Black frontier experience have resulted in a more detailed look into a complicated past.

After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, white settlers began to explore the American West, warring with Indigenous Americans and laying claim to land acquired by brute force and genocide under the assertion of “manifest destiny.” In 1848, the discovery of gold in California further fueled the colonization of the west, with a mass migration that prompted settlements throughout the western frontier. Migration raised the

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Aurora Public School Board’s Newest Member:

Tiffany Tasker Seeking Change Through Equity and Cultural Responsiveness

By LaQuane Smith

T

he newest elected members of the Aurora Public Schools (APS) Board of Education were officially sworn in on Dec. 5, 2023. New APS Board Treasurer, Tiffany Tasker, stood proudly before the board with her right hand raised and an oath to serve the very community that nurtured her educational success.

Tasker is a lifelong Colorado resident, mother/aunt and scholar who is passionate about cultivating educational spaces that are inclusive, equitable, and supportive of students’ educational goals and achievements. The APS alum attended University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), earning a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies and Master of Social Science with a track in Ethnic Studies.

While working as an Achieving Excellence Academy Teacher at Denver Public Schools and a professor of African American History and American Political Systems at CU Denver, she is pursuing a Doctorate of Education and Leadership for Educational Equity in Urban and Diverse Communities.

keep it alive. She believes in the Ghanaian concept of Sankofa, which means “to reach back and get it.”

As an educator and leader, Tasker believes that it is the responsibility of community members to pass along resources and knowledge to the next generation, preparing them for society. Her cultural convictions guide her desire to assist students in achieving their goals, recognizing that they are the future educators.

The inspiration behind Tasker’s decision to run for a position on the APS School Board comes from her experiences as a concerned aunt and her classroom observations as an educator. Her background in education allowed her to view her niece’s educational experience with compassion, identifying opportunities for growth within the APS system.

A Platform of Equity and Teacher Support

Tasker’s academic and professional background is deeply rooted in Black studies. She brings a wealth of wisdom and a fresh new perspective to the APS Board, and understands the unique needs of systemically underrepresented students. She is actively working to be a proponent of positive change in order to create meaningful outcomes.

Educational Philosophy Tasker references a quote from civil rights leader, Malcolm X, as the inspiration behind her educational philosophy; “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

She thinks of herself as a griot – a storyteller among West African traditions who protects and preserves history, sharing it with younger generations to

Tiffany’s platform was based on the ability to use her professional and academic experiences to cultivate an equitable environment for students.

She believes that an equitable education involves the implementation of resources based on necessity.

“Equitable learning in an equitable working environment has been proven to increase the productivity and efficacy of our teachers and students,” she says.

The acknowledgement, embrace and implementation of each student’s culture, language and worldview in the classroom setting promotes cultural responsiveness. This fosters an environment of belonging, and lays the framework for a truly inclusive educational experience. She believes that resources based on an analysis of what is necessary for individual students will support educational goals and benefit the entire APS student body.

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Additionally, her platform included a pledge to support educators. While many educators are compensated on a monthly basis, she is an advocate for increasing the frequency of payments and ensuring that teacher salaries are aligned with adjusted economic and industry standards.

Challenging Enrollment Rates One of the most pressing issues prompting the need for educational reform is the low rate of Black male students graduating from high school and attending college. Tasker seeks to address the challenge by ensuring and implementing equitable resources, with opportunities for students to excel. She is motivated to increase college attendance rates among APS graduates by providing continual support through increased counseling and advising services throughout their educational careers instead of focusing solely on upperclassmen.

“The board is committed to closing gaps, especially with the board results that focus on equity. As I continue my doctoral work tied to urban and diverse communities, I want to be a strong voice in advocating that we close equity gaps,” she says. “As a community, I know we can come up with researchbased effective solutions that bring more success for all of our students.”

Tasker’s Mission and Vision Tasker’s mission is to support students by implementing a culturally inclusive and equitable academic environment, supporting her vision that students will excel in classrooms and be more prepared for higher education and workplace success.

“I know that there is great work happening in Aurora Public Schools; and as a part of the board, I want to support, expand and grow that work.”.

Expanding Impact Through Women’s Empowerment

By Barry Overton

I

n the heart of Denver, Colorado, a movement of empowerment and transformation is taking shape and changing the lives of women in profound ways. Project I See You (PISY) is the manifestation of a vision – a movement led by cofounder and executive director,

Mercy Tucker.

In 2009, Tucker and cofounder, Angie Johnston, took a pivotal trip to the Dominican

Republic, where they discovered the significant impact of reciprocal dignity and the importance of women recognizing their inherent worth.

Tucker staunchly believes that when a woman’s life Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – January 2024

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undergoes transformation, it invariably impacts those in her immediate surroundings. It is an age-old adage, infused with this unique perspective: “Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime…

However, if you teach a woman to fish, the entire community gains the knowledge of fishing.”

This perspective underscores her commitment to empowering women and fostering a ripple effect of positive change within communities.

After returning from the Dominican Republic, the leaders of PISY continued to organize immersion trips, fostering connections with women in the Caribbean country over the course of the next year.

They created a locally-led and women-run foundation, Proyecto Te Veo (Te Veo is “I See You” in Spanish), and established a two story empowerment center, Centro Te Veo. Officially formed in 2009, PISY grew into an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by 2020. A significant milestone was reached when the organization partnered with Open Door Ministries to establish Te Veo House, a transitional housing facility in Denver. The facility serves as a sanctuary for women transitioning from the streets, escaping sex trafficking and reintegrating after incarceration.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was a challenging period for many, but it also served as a catalyst for PISY to evolve further. They launched the Shared Power Initiative, specifically supporting women in their efforts to become first-time homeowners and small business owners. Since its inception, the initiative has reviewed over 250 applications, awarded more than 50 grants, and currently supports over 60 women in its first-time homeowner or business owner cohorts. Created in response to escalating housing prices in Denver, the program

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offers grants of $10,000 to its applicants. For many recipients, these funds have been the deciding factor in maintaining businesses or achieving homeownership.

Antoinette Johnson is a beneficiary of the initiative whose journey is particularly inspiring.

She recounts how, prior to becoming a homeowner through the Shared Power Initiative, she lived in 33 different homes throughout her lifetime. Owning a home, she says, has fundamentally changed her approach to community and relationships.

PISY’s success in Denver is palpable, and the desire of its diverse board and team to extend its reach to more women

and families in 2024 is strong.

The organization is a testament to the belief that when women are empowered, entire communities can be uplifted..

Editor’s Note: To make financial contributions or learn more about participation, visit www.projectiseeyou.org.

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Achieving Excellence with DPS Students

By LaQuane Smith

T

he Achieving Excellence Academy (AEA) is a cultural summer program that high-

lights the experiences of Black, Latino, Asian American, Pacific Islander and Indigenous Denver Public Schools (DPS) students, families and educators. Registration for the prestigious extracurricular program begins in January for students in grades 9 to 11.

AEA will meet each day from June 7 to July 3, with opportunities for students to engage in teacher and community mentor-led activities. The

program promotes the amplification of student voices and fosters belonging, connection and change-making.

Ashlea Skiles is the Manager of Equity Initiatives and AEA Program Developer and Director for the DPS Culture, Equity & Leadership Team (CELT). Skiles, along with CELT Director Leslie L. Juniel, developed the program in an attempt to close the gap in educational achievement for students from historically underserved populations. The Bailey Report, an examination of student and educator experiences in Denver published in 2016, revealed inequitable treatment of Black students and educators, prompting efforts to create systemic change.

“The idea for the Achieving Excellence Academy Program would highlight and support the experiences of Black students,” she says. “Leslie’s idea came out of the African American Equity Task Force report along with the Bailey Report. It also came from DPS’ history of efforts to close the educational gap.”

Motivated by the inequitable educational experiences of Black students despite previous attempts to resolve academic, social and emotional deficiencies in school settings, Skiles took on the development and implementation of the AEA program, bringing Juniel’s vision to life. She is proud of her ability to impact student experiences in a positive way, “tangibly changing the student experience of Black, brown, AAPI and Native American students that exist within our larger organization.”

Skiles is proud of the fact that students are taking the understanding gained from AEA back to their schools and community, and leaning into newly-acquired leadership skills with a strong voice.

“That’s huge!” she exclaims.

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knowledge shows incredible commitment that makes participants feel loved and celebrated.

Inspiring Outcomes

All About Achievement The AEA program is about relationships and community. It involves students from schools across the district, and was purposefully designed to target teenagers at risk of falling through the cracks.

Skiles asserts that despite there being numerous programs for younger students, the transition to middle and high school often results in decreased levels of engagement and support for Black students.

She was intentional about targeting older students, acknowledging the potentially weakened community support for their age group. Noting the importance of building relationships with an engaged and participatory community in the educational process, Skiles aimed to build this foundational component as an essential program feature.

“I think relationships and community are really the heart of what we do,” she says.

“Having that familial kind of feel is our secret sauce.”

AEA allows students to see similarities and reflections of themselves in other students and staff, providing a unique experience to be in community with one another at a crucial point in self-development.

Students learn from each other’s affinities to develop relationship and leadership skills in a safe and supportive environment. The program also allows students to participate in the generation of program curricu-

lum, with a liberating process of intentional “unschooling” that allows them to show up as their authentic selves without traditional constructs or limitations.

The co-creation and collaboration allows them to see themselves in the curriculum and relate to the educators who share experiences, culture and even language.

Skiles seeks to marry identity-learning and cultural understanding with emotional wellness and relationship-building to foster comprehensive engagement that can be carried into traditional educational settings.

Participants in the AEA program spend the summer creating passion projects and student action plans that mimic civic engagement. They build leadership skills in a robust, socio-emotionally supportive environment so that they can return to their communities with a stronger voice and heightened sense of self. Skiles believes this will largely benefit the Black community, with students more capable of exploring their interests and passions in a way that will positively impact their friends, family and communities.

AEA educators are committed, dedicated and heartcentered. They work in anti-racist frameworks and collaborate beautifully to make the program as effective as possible.

Skiles is proud of the educators and believes their ability to dedicate their time, energy and

The annual extension of the AEA cohort is working to dismantle inequity and marginalization, while reflecting the resiliency of the students and educators involved. Skiles’ long-range mission is to continue the Peer Power Program (P3) that was initiated during the 2023-2024 school year.

Additional grant funds would allow the peer mentorship program to continue as an integral part of AEA programming.

She also aspires to develop a “Seal of Excellence” to acknowledge and give accreditation to the program. A seal of excellence, like the DPS Biliteracy Seal, would be bestowed upon program participants during their high school graduations, celebrating and honoring their extraordinary commitment to their educational journey through AEA. Additionally, Skiles’ vision includes a financial stipulation that would help students fund minority-owned businesses, take advantage of

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opportunities to travel abroad, fund passion projects or build wealth through savings.

Ultimately, she hopes that the cohort continues to be extended as a roadmap for affinity groups that are working to dismantle inequity at every level of education. “I think that there is more to be learned from one another’s struggles and experiences,” she says, pointing out that analogous groups can learn from each other. “My hope is to shift the story so that [underrepresented] students are no longer on the margins of disparity data. My hope is that students become centered by being part of AEA.” AEA is committed to DPS core values that focus on putting students first. Skiles continues to enhance the program through self-reflection as a classroom teacher, and consistently challenges herself and AEA educators to make it as advantageous as possible for students, educators, families and the community itself..

Editor’s Note: To register and learn more about AEA, visit www.celt.dpsk12.org.

Lincoln Hills’ Lodge Earns Federal Landmark Designation

By Don Ireland Senior Reporter, Weekly Register-Call Department’s vision for inclu-

and collaborative conservaThe Lincoln Hills neighbor- sive tion,” she remarked.

hood in northeastern Gilpin County opened in 1922 as a scenic mountain getaway for Black Americans from around the country. Last week, U.S. Interior Department Secretary, Deb Haaland, declared the fabled Wink’s Panoramic Lodge in Lincoln Hills a National Historic Landmark (NHL).

Lincoln Hills and Temple Aaron in Trinidad were among 16 new NHLs announced by Haaland. “The importance of the sites in sharing America’s rich history and extraordinary natural features. Today’s new landmarks further the Interior

“Supporting voluntary and locally led stewardship is key to nationwide efforts to conserve and connect the lands upon which we all depend.”

Chuck Sams, director of the National Parks Service, which administers the NGL program, said the announcement “further illustrates and expands our country’s collective heritage and splendor.” He commented that NHLs are some of the nation’s most historically significant sites, structures, objects and districts, which communicate themes in history, archeology, architecture, engineering and cultural significance. NHL

designation is the highest federal recognition of a property’s historical, architectural or archaeological significance, and a testament to the dedicated stewardship of many private and public property owners who seek the designation.

News of the Wink’s Panoramic Tavern was joyously greeted by the Honorable Judge Gary Jackson, a retired Denver judge who spent a lifetime of summers in Lincoln Hills and has advocated the area’s histori-

cal importance for many years.

“It’s been like a dream come true,” said Jackson, 78. “To me, it’s very significant because it’s a major part of the American Black experience, which has been overlooked. I’m just thrilled about it.”

Jackson isn’t involved in the restoration of the Wink’s building. That is being handled by Robert Smith, the property owner, and Lincoln Hills Cares, the foundation doing the preservation work.

“I’m excited about the Wink’s Lodge designation,” said Jeannette Patterson, executive director of the Lincoln Hills Cares (LHC) Foundation that began in 2016. “The [national historic] designation is important because it’s a reflection on who the people were years ago and what they were striving to do. They were trying to have a place of respite and to enjoy the outdoors. People need to know about Lincoln Hills. A lot of

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Photo of Wink’s Panoramic Lodge in Lincoln Hills...Courtesy photo

Historic Lincoln Hills sales posters from 1922 are displayed at the Gilpin County administrative offices in Central City.

people don’t know a lot about it. We want the story to be told so that everyone will know about it. People still need to be in a space where they enjoy outdoor nature.”

Jackson’s mother, Nancelia Scott Jackson, celebrated her 99th birthday this fall at their family’s Lincoln Hills cabin, attracting 27 people. It is one of the countless memories he has gathered in the neighborhood over the years, which motivated him to spread the story of Lincoln Hills to Denver and beyond.

“I became involved with Wink’s Lodge back in 2007,” recalled Jackson. “At the time, I became a board member with the James Beckwourth Mountain Club. James Beckwourth was a former enslaved man, became an American fur trapper, western trailblazer and scout for the Army cavalry. He was the cofounder of Pueblo. The Beckwourth Mountain Club was a group of urban people who would gather to recreate in the Colorado mountains.”

“Not only was it a recreational group, [but] they also wanted to educate children of color regarding recreating in the mountains and of Black achievements in Colorado,” he continued. “We also purchased Wink’s Lodge from a couple in

Texas who had owned it. That’s how I became directly connected with Wink’s Lodge. We tried to maintain and preserve the lodge from about 2007 until 2012 when we sold it to Robert Smith.”

Smith, an LHC Foundation co-founder, is a Denver businessman and philanthropist who has invested his time and resources in organizations that uplift underrepresented communities.

Patterson reported that LHC has worked to honor the past of Lincoln Hills. “The vision of the foundation has been to diversify the outdoors for generations to come. We support outdoor education and recreation programs for youth from ages 8 through 18. We also support environmental programs at Lincoln Hills, where we do environmental stewardship and sustainability practices.” The foundation also partners with two other programs to focus on water conservation along the South Platte River.

LHC also works with the Denver Urban Gardens organization, and another program – the Pathways program – focuses on youth employment and leadership development. A major foundation goal, according to Patterson, is to focus on the identity of Lincoln Hills.

“We’re in the process of defin-

ing the role of Lincoln Hills through the preservation and restoration of the historic Lincoln Hills.”

Currently, the foundation is working with History Colorado to collect stories from those who went to Lincoln Hills between 1925 and 1965. The two organizations are working on the logistics to sponsor programs next spring to attract the older Lincoln Hills visitors and give their oral recollections of their memories of the area.

LHC has reached more than 103,000 youth, facilitated more than 10,000 hours of curriculum, and partnered with more than 75 organizations. “We’re still in the situation of being outdoors and being able to enjoy it,” Patterson noted.

Jackson said the news about the national designation for Wink’s Panoramic Tavern is among the recent highlights in his retirement years. “The governor has appointed me to a commission called the ‘American 250 – Colorado 150 Commission.’ I am one of the15 commissioners, and I’m going

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – January 2024

25

to represent the Black communities of Colorado. For me, this is extra, extra special. The two major Black churches in Denver were very involved in the recruitment and buyers of properties in Lincoln Hills, so there’s a certain spiritual aspect to it, too.”

Governor Jared Polis formed the statewide commission to commemorate and celebrate two historic events in 2026 – the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 150th anniversary of Colorado becoming a state.

Jackson said the development of Lincoln Hills in 1922 was significant because of the era in American history.

One year earlier in 1921, mobs of white people – some of whom had been appointed as deputies and armed by city officials – attacked and killed dozens of Black residents and destroyed homes and businesses during the Tulsa, Oklahoma massacre.

“When you think about the courage and fortitude of the developers of Lincoln Hills,” said Jackson, “the knowledge of what happened [in Tulsa] did not discourage that effort. As you know, the 1920s was during the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado. On the positive side, the government of Gilpin County was welcoming to this Black venture that was taking place. The residents of Gilpin County were welcoming, too.

To me, the significance of this designation is important.”

Photos and items from Jackson’s personal collection, including a quilt piece titled, “Lincoln Hills Colorado: An African American Heartbeat,”

by Judy Haslee Scott, are currently on display at the Boulder History Museum..

Editor’s Note: For exhibit information, visit www. museumofboulder.org.

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a pipeline for the next generation of pilots and aviation professionals.

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options available in the aviation industry. Professionals representing United, Southwest and other aviation-related organizations discussed pathways to careers in aviation. Aviationbased career paths as pilots, flight attendants, passenger service agents, mechanics, cargo operations, ramp operators, FBI,

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preparedness. Other speakers included Ontario International Airport Authority President and Ontario City Council Member Alan Wapner, Ontario International Airport CEO Atif Elkadi, Federal Aviation Administration Deputy Administrator Faviola Garcia, Latino Pilot Association representative Liliana De La Cruz Sanchez and Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson..

Editor’s Note: For more information on the SHADES OF BLUE Aviation Symposium, visit www.ourshadesofblue.org.

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Remembering

Loweta Lee Kimbal January 1, 1939 – November 5, 2023

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hen I contemplate my grandmother’s legacy, I’m flooded with gratitude. Words like resilient, loquacious, persistent, elegant, particular, endearing and pedagogue come to my mind.

She was a teacher to anyone who heard her voice. A cheerleader to those who endeavored to take risks and try. A daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, teacher, educator and inspiration to those here today. She was a gifted storyteller and a fierce ally for education, literacy and leadership of women and children. She left her physical body here on this earth, and is now a memory – a spirit and a charge for us to pursue our “why” through every breath, every thought, every relationship and every conversation.

“Breathe that legacy into the lives you touch every day.”

Loweta transitioned beautifully, peacefully and in no pain at her home, surrounded by her sister, Martha; niece, Leslie; son-in-love, Charles; children and grandchildren.

She was the 11th of 18 children born to Leslie Clarence and Minnie Lee (Clayborne) Kimball. Loweta was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings, Geraldine Gunn, Clarence “Sunny” Kimball, Dorice Brice, Leslie Kimball, Wesley Kimball, Maurice Kimball and James “Jimmy” Kimball.

In addition to her surviving brothers and sisters, Loweta is survived by her children, Debra Bryson and Dr. Denise Perdue; her 4 grandchildren, Dr. Jenaya Perdue, John Louie-Toussaint Perdue (late), Kimi Bryson and Kyle Bryson.

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Through February 19, 2024 IMAGE: Amoako Boafo, Bella Sontez (detail), 2019. Oil on paper; 28 x 22 in., Courtesy of Private Collection and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles.

Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks is presented in partnership between Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco. The exhibition is curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah. The presentation of this exhibition at the Denver Art Museum is organized by Rory Padeken, Vicki and Kent Logan Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. It is funded by Vicki and Kent Logan, the Birnbaum Social Discourse Project, U.S. Bank, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.