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MESSAGE Guest Editor
Innovate. Heal. Thrive.
As this month’s contributing editor for Denver Urban Spectrum, I am grateful to share my thoughts on health. According to National Health Observances, October is designated for raising awareness about health literacy, breast cancer, domestic violence, and more.
In our October issue, we look at various forms of health – the health of food, the health of the environment, the health of the country, and the health of health.
In our cover story, Elena Brown presents a look at the state of Blackowned farms as two Colorado farms share their experiences and their communityfocused philosophies in “Farming While Black.”
We are all familiar with AI and its effects on our lives – personally, professionally and socially. Read Tanya Ishikawa’s reporting on how AI is affecting the environment and the real cost of data processing.
Last month, friends, fans and followers of Charlie Kirk honored his life after he was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at a Turning Point USA public debate on the Utah Valley University campus. Related views of our nation’s health are displayed in Frances Murphy (Toni) Draper’s article, “What the Assassination of Charlie Kirk Reveals About America,” and Earl Ofari Hutchinson’s take with “Yet Another Reason to Remember Charlie Kirk.”
WE MUST EMBRACE
Lastly, Misti Aas writes about medicine through the ages in her story about Holistic Professionals of Color (HPOC).
Check out these stories and more about all of the upcoming events and national personalities who will be gracing the Mile High City in the coming months.
In the meantime, however you can, please take care of your health and be caring about the health of others.
Karen Davis
Guest Editor
All voters to keep our freedoms strong
Op-ed by Wellington E. Webb
As unaffiliated voters now officially make up 51 percent of Colorado registered voters, here are some of my thoughts.
When you make choices in this November election, remember what Republicans have done in only nine months since Trump took office.
I’ll start with something positive to combat those who would say, “Doesn’t Mayor Webb say anything positive?”
• The U.S. border did need to be tighten and I give some credit to Republicans for eliminating tax on tips and overtime.
But let’s not overlook what else Republicans have done.
• Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare that will impact older and poor Americans. Additionally, people who rely on premium tax credits to pay health insured premiums may see increases of up to 75 percent in 2026, according to estimates.
• They have endorsed masked members of ICE to invade communities and detain noncriminals and U.S. citizens based solely on the color of their skin.
• They gave billionaire Elon Musk huge tax breaks, while he brought in unqualified people in their 20s to gut programs, including allowing millions of pounds of food for needy worldwide to spoil.
• The federal employees who lost their jobs now will collect unemployment from the government. Where is the cost savings there?
• America has no friends overseas. Why would anyone respect a leader who uses foreign policy to bully nations?
• DEI programs are wiped out as white men try to whitewash history, including destroying integrity in our museums. Trump eliminated DEI diversity equity and inclusion with NCU nepotism, cronyism and unqualified appointments.
• They have successfully silenced some media, especially those wanting mergers and fear revoking broadcast licensing. Democracy cannot survive without a free press.
• They have sat silent while many women in elected office, a majority of them women of color, are labeled as “stupid” for questioning unfair policies that will impact all races.
• Promoted confusion and misinformation about vaccinations. I never want to go back to a time in my childhood where newspapers reported daily on the number of children killed, paralyzed or physically impaired by polio. That vaccine nearly eradicated polio worldwide. Robert Kennedy’s misinformation has helped resurface such diseases like measles, whooping cough and COVID.
• They have embraced and fueled a climate of fear, which has help create a country nearly as divided at the Civil War. There was a time when Democrats and Republicans could agree to disagree for the greater good. Now, people fear losing their jobs for speaking their truth. What is Democracy without freedom of speech, and I don’t mean spewing hatred.
Coloradans have long been independent and voters know right from wrong. I was elected Denver’s first Black mayor in the predominantly
Continued on Page 12
FARMING WHILE BLACK
FARMING WHILE BLACK FREEDOM ACRES RANCH
The leather creaks softly as Courtney “CW” Mallery settles into the saddle and his hands rest loosely on the reins. His American Quarter Horse shifts its weight. The warm, solid, living presence beneath CW grounds him instantly. He feels his shoulders drop, tension slipping away. When Freedom steps forward, their world changes. The horse’s stride is steady, each hoof pressing into the earth with a rhythm that flows through its body.
The air is fresh. The rising sun is a welcomed warmth on his face. He’s not pushing, not striving, just being carried. The horse doesn’t judge, doesn’t ask for anything more than gentle guidance. The walk is unhurried, almost meditative. It’s a lot like mindfulness in motion. The simple act of moving forward without effort—it all folds together into a sense of ease.
CW’s mind, usually a churn of noise, softens as he gets carried away by the rhythm of Freedom’s gait. It’s a reminder that peace can be simple: one breath, one step, one steady rhythm at a time.
When Nicole Mallery saddles up her feisty horse, Justice, the ride becomes more than exercise. It’s her time to pray, reflect, and gather strength. Justice’s restless energy matches her own, yet her steady presence offers comfort. Out on the open land, their land, with only hoofbeats and breath between them, Nicole finds a rhythm that feels like therapy and meditation
AND WILD BOYD FARM KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE
FREEDOM ACRES RANCH AND WILD BOYD FARM KEEP
THE DREAM ALIVE
By Elena Brown
rolled into one—a partnership that gives her both escape and renewal.
These rides are how 43-year-old CW can escape, because he can’t remember the last time he went on vacation.
“Vacation? What’s that?” he says with a chuckle.
“I would love a vacation,” says his wife, Nicole. But when you own and run a large farm, she is quick to point out, the work never stops–it’s a fulltime, year-round commitment.
Farming demands resilience. Farming 1,000 acres demands even more. Farming while Black demands you fight history and systems stacked against you.
Freedom Acres Ranch is a veteranowned, family-operated ranch, and is one of about 19 Black-owned farms in Colorado according to the Black Farmers Index. The ranch is in Yoder, Colo., a small unincorporated community founded by an Amish Mennonite in 1904. Yoder, located about 40 minutes east of Colorado Springs and about 14 miles south of Calhan, has less than 1,500 people according to the 2020 Colorado census. The majority race in Yoder is Caucasian, making up 82.5% of residents. The next most common racial group is Hispanic at 11.1%, and Blacks make up 0.3% of the population.
The Mallerys didn’t slip quietly into Yoder — their arrival was well known. And it wasn’t long after they bought and moved onto the land that conflicts began and still continue.
They expected the typical challenges of ranching. Instead, they found themselves in a conflict that has come to symbolize broader tensions over race, land, and community in rural America.
“We’ve been told that we don’t look like real farmers,” Nicole says. “The bottom line is we had the audacity to buy too much land.”
The couple allege their white neighbors harassed them— threatening with guns, chasing them on the road, and harming their livestock—while local law enforcement ignored their pleas for protection. In turn, neighbors accused the Mallerys of intimidation, and in February 2023, CW was arrested on felony stalking and other charges, all
At the heart of the dispute is the contested ownership of an easement, Truckton Road, a strip of land leading to both the Mallery and Clark properties. The disagreement spiraled into restraining orders, counterclaims, and more than 170 calls to law enforcement between 2022 and 2023.
The Clarks have since moved.
“I feel like I don’t just have a neighbor problem,” explains Nicole. “I have a sheriff problem.”
She and CW say there have been threats on their lives, stalking, animals being poisoned, fences destroyed resulting in loss of cattle, and even a chicken coop set on fire have fallen on deaf ears.
El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal, the county’s first Hispanic sheriff, and Deputy Emory Gerhart who ran the county’s Rural Enforcement and Outreach Unit have defended their office’s handling of the matter. For the Mallerys,
CW and Nicole Mallery
ordeal has become more than a neighborhood fight over property rights. The sheriff is up for reelection in November 2026, and doesn’t have a challenger.
Nicole describers her arrests as “traumatizing. I felt so powerless,” she says. “But it spurred a community of people to rally behind us. I realized we were not alone.” The couple currently have no tickets, warrants, or pending court hearings.
The Mallerys have a petition on Change .org advocating for the termination and removal of Gerhart, and seeking an independent investigation from the Colorado attorney general. The petition has more than 12,000 verified signatures.
A Crisis for Black Farmers
In May 2021, authorities were called to do a welfare check on a parttime convenience store clerk who was a ranch hand for the Mallerys. The body of 43-year-old Donaciano Amaya was found. DNA evidence led to the arrest of Kevin Armando ChaparroMacias on suspicion of murder. His court dates are scheduled for October and November 2025.
CW says he believed Amaya’s homicide was meant as a warning for him and his wife to leave Yoder, but the sheriff’s office stated it was not a racially motivated act against the couple.
To CW and Nicole, it reflects a deeper struggle over safety, belonging, and how race and land ownership continue to shape rural life.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed with Ark Republic, a New Jersey-based Black news site, that the criminal justice agency was actively investigating claims made by the Black Colorado ranching couple. CW claims the rural community wants to steal his land, especially after he turned down numerous requests to lease his acreages to local whites. Farming while Black is especially hard because of systemic racism, generations of land loss, and discrimination in access to credit, debt relief, grant funding, and support services.
Services like the Farm Service Agency (FSA) support farms and farming communities with programs including disaster relief and lowinterest loan programs. However, programs like the Regional Food Business Centers that benefit small and midsize farms, including many operated by minority farmers, are being eliminated in response to Trump’s orders barring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
“Think of the USDA like America’s food table,” says CW. “It’s important that we have a voice at that table.”
In the shadow of America’s vast agricultural heartland, Black farmers represent a resilient yet dwindling force, comprising just 1.4% of the nation’s producers and operating less than 1% of farmland, a stark decline from the 14% peak in 1910, when they owned up to 16 million acres. Today, according to the latest USDA Census of Agriculture released in 2024, only about 32,700 Black-operated farms span roughly 5.3 million acres. Numbers dropped by more than 4,000 between 2017 and 2022 alone due to entrenched discrimination, limited access to loans and subsidies, and economic pressures exacerbated by climate change and federal policy freezes under the Trump administration.
Recently, the USDA ended key support for Black farmers citing they will no longer use the term “socially disadvantaged,” because historic discrimination has been sufficiently addressed.
This ongoing crisis, rooted in a century of USDA-backed inequities, threatens not only the livelihoods of these farmers but also the broader push for racial equity in food production. Meanwhile, advocacy groups like the National Black Farmers Association fight for reparations and reform amid frozen funding and heirs’ property disputes that continue to erode Black land ownership
Sustainable, Communitycentered Farming
Fewer Black farmers means less access to mentorship, peer networks, and political representation in agricultural policy. However, when the government is slow to help, various organizations like AYA Foundation step in to give aid where needed. The organization is one of the first public charity community foundations in Colorado dedicated to serving the Black community.
Wild Boyd Farm, located about an hour northeast of the Mallerys ranch, is the recipient of a $20,000
CW and Nicole Mallery working the farm
CW with young farm guests
Continued from Page 5
grant from AYA to expand the farm’s operations.
The Boyd family purchased a 10-acre homestead in Matheson, Colo., in 2018. They now lease more than 8,500 acres. They care for and nurture shorthorn cattle, Katahdin sheep, Boer and Nubian goats, and more. According to their website, their clean meats and products are sold to nonprofits, commercial clients, schools, individuals and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Wild Boyd was the first Black farm to have its protein, burger and blueberry sausage, showcased at the National Western Center and Stock Show in the history of the Colorado Stock Show.
“I love the Matheson community,” Wild Boyd Founder Terrance Boyd told Regeneration Rising, an agrarian podcast hosted by the Quivira Coalition last year. Quivira is a nonprofit that builds resilience on working lands to support the future of farmers and ranchers.
“I didn’t have a hard time living in rural America, my family does not
have a hard time because our political views, our values, our morals line up with the community in the county. It was a smooth transition for us, for the most part,” he explained.
While Boyd’s approach to farming is rooted in innovation and care for the land, his experience as a Black farmer has been markedly different from others in the state. Boyd admits he hasn’t had the issues the Mallerys are experiencing, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had issues.
Boyd, a first-generation farmer, prides himself on the use of regenerative farming practices, like
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using chicken tractors and naturally grazing livestock. A chicken tractor is a bottomless chicken coop that can be moved around, allowing the chickens to scratch at the earth and create vegetation growth.
Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach to farming that focuses on restoring soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and improving ecosystems. Regenerative agriculture also focuses on the importance of knowing where your food comes from. Each crop or animal carries the story of the hands that raised it, reminding us that food is not just a product, but the result of perseverance, care, and connection to the land.
Recent changes at the USDA, combined with economic pressures and legal challenges, suggest that discrimination, harassment, and threats remain serious and growing concerns for many Black farmers, especially as race-based support programs are being scaled back.
Yet despite these challenges, Black farmers are at the forefront of regenerative, sustainable, and community-centered farming. Farming has long been woven into Black history, and farmers have kept alive traditions of resilience, persistence and innovation. Many also feel pressure to educate, advocate, and fight for justice while simply trying to farm—making the workload even heavier.
Working Together for Future Generations
Persistence has paid off for the Mallerys, who were named Farmers of the Year by the National Black Farmers Association last year.
The ranch raises several varieties of goats, horses, pigs, cows, chickens and turkeys, all of which can be ordered in person or online. The modest store is open on the weekends and features teas and honeys from other Black farms.
“It’s a beautiful thing when we all work together,” says CW. “Because together we are stronger.”
The Mallerys moved to Colorado from Texas after floods from Hurricane Harvey displaced them, and brought the harsh and unexpected reality of food insecurity. That experience solidified their goals and belief that “farmers save lives.”
Their website states their “vision is to create a world where everyone— regardless of demographics or socioeconomic status—has access to fresh, healthy, farm-to-table food.”
The Mallerys’ story gained wide online attention after the Ark Republic ran a two-part series on the couple’s allegations in 2023. At that time, a Go Fund Me was launched on their behalf with donations going towards enhanced security, privacy and electrical fences, and legal fees. As of mid-September, $236,000 has
Terrance Boyd and Benny Samuels
Terrance Boyd and Adrian Miller
I know what we’re doing is so much bigger than all this. And I think of my ancestors, then I know it’s not in me to run or to be put out.”
For CW the years of conflict have been a harsh education. But, he stands tall in his cowboy hat with Nicole–in her signature pearls–by his side and speaks of a life rooted in the endless cycle of ranching: weather, toil, the turning seasons, days marked by hard work, and the natural rhythm
Bianca and Patrick, CHFA homeowners been raised. The Rocky Mountain NAACP and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission are among the organizations that have supported the Mallerys.
The couple say they need about 10 ranch hands to run their operation most effectively, but have not been able to hire enough. Some volunteers have reached out, which has helped.
Being shorthanded doesn’t stop the ranch from hosting events throughout the year, including movie nights, Derby day, and Juneteenth celebrations. In October, their annual Fall Festival & Trail Ride include live music, line dancing, hayrides, kids’ activities, and a bonfire with s’mores at sunset.
“Retreat at the ranch, rent the ranch, or just come for a visit. We offer so much,” says Nicole.
“I ask myself every day, ‘Why are we staying?’ But then something amazing will happen, like a busload of children arrive and we teach them about agriculture and being in charge of your own food,” she adds. “When I see their faces light up when planting or feeding the animals then
of the ranch. “At the end of the day we’re fighting to farm in peace,” he proclaims. “This is my dream.”
Each time CW swings onto Freedom and rides across the wide-open pastures, the scent of hay and dry earth rises around him, and the steady thump of hooves across the acres carries a sense of reclamation. He feels it—his land, his work, his dreams, all aligned. Every hoofbeat is an ancestral heartbeat
of resilience, not just to his land, but his resolve, his freedom, and the quiet, unshakable life he has fought to build and to the life he has fought to preserve. ♦
Contributor’s note: For more information about Freedom Acres and upcoming events, visit https://freedomacresranch. com/. For more information about Wild Boyd Farm, visit https://www. wildboydfarm.com/
Courtney “CW” Mallery
Terrance Boyd
AI QUERIES AND CLOUD COMPUTING Challenge Energy and Water Supplies
By Tanya Ishikawa
We’re always thinking about energy and water in Colorado.
That’s how Colorado State Rep. Jennifer Bacon, who serves District 7 in Far Northeast Denver, responded to a question about whether the Colorado General Assembly is considering the water and energy impacts of data processing centers.
Whether its interstate negotiations about the Colorado River or Governor Polis’s push for electric vehicles and strengthening
energy grids, Bacon said our state is concerned about water and energy.
“In regards to the data centers, yes, we’ve been having conversations. I am not familiar with any specific bills, but we know the conversations are coming,” she said. “We have been following what kind of energy data centers need, and if they need water, they’re not an option for Colorado.”
As multinational and national companies have increased construction and operation across the U.S. of large buildings filled with computers for processing information and artificial intelligence, stories about the impacts on water and energy supplies began appearing in the national media this year. From Tennessee and Georgia to Arizona and western states, data centers have created new demands for power generation and water for cooling the computers.
In July, a report on “Data Center Impacts in the West: Policy Solutions for Water and Energy Use,” was released by the regional nonprofit Western Resource Advocates (WRA). The mission of WRA is to fight climate change and its impacts. It focuses on clean energy, healthy rivers, and western lands mainly in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, as well as Wyoming and Montana.
The organization’s work brings its staff into meetings and legal proceedings with the Public Utilities Commission, explained WRA Clean Energy Policy Advisor Deborah Kapiloff, one of the report’s three authors.
“We have been seeing just absolutely explosive growth in the load forecast that utilities are filing. The load forecast is essentially how much electricity they’re projecting that they will need to serve their customers,” Kapiloff said. “And we were very concerned about that because normally the growth of energy consumption has been pretty flat, pretty steady. It’s been something that we’ve been able to plan for. And this was just a huge, dramatic spike.”
Freelance journalist and nonfiction author Jonathan Thompson writes in his 8/26 edition of Land Desk dispatch that “Xcel Energy expects to spend about $22 billion in the next 15 years to meet new data centers’ projected power demand in Colorado, potentially doubling or even tripling legacy customers’ rates. Also of concern: If the projections are overblown, Xcel could end up building a bunch of new generation that’s not needed, leaving the utility and its customers with a bunch of stranded assets.”
“So much of that growth in energy demand is tied to just a few customers,” said Kapiloff. “A single data center by itself could require a new generation source because they’re just that large. And our system is built and regulated in a way where risk is shared among all of the customers.”
“We really need to be proactive about reforming the way that we think about resource planning, how we think about rate making and who is paying for what assets on the electrical grid. Because the way that it is set up now is not meant to accommodate these ginormous customers who are bringing lots of growth very, very quickly,” she added.
The WRA report recommends that governments create incentives and streamlined processes for data centers to develop and build their own on-site clean energy sources, so they don’t strain the operations or increase rates at public electricity providers. Other recommendations are for requirements on energy efficiency standards and best practices to minimize energy demand, and requirements for data centers to carry the financial risk and responsibility for the energy resource development. Policies should be in place in case a company decides to close a data center, so the community is not left paying for oversized generating capacity that is no longer needed.
Data centers also use large amounts of energy or water to cool the equipment during operation. Air cooling systems increase their energy demands, while water cooling systems gulp up millions of gallons of water.
The report states: If utility predictions on data center growth come to fruition, data centers in a five-state area (Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Utah) could have annual, on-site consumptive water use of 13,700 acre-feet (4.5 billion gallons) in 2030, and 21,600 acre-feet (7 billion gallons) in 2035, assuming they use conventional water-based cooling technologies. For comparison, 21,600 acre-feet is enough water to support 194,000 people per year.
“Data centers are going to be using water equivalent to hundreds of thousands of people, so you can think about like a new city in the West springing up with 150,000 or 200,000 people and their related water demands,” Kapiloff said. “Then, you realize that that city doesn’t exist. That city is just a bunch of data centers with
rows and rows of servers containing chips, and the water is being used to stop those chips from overheating so that they can run artificial intelligence queries. I think that is just mindboggling to think about that.”
Researching the report revealed “the fact that there was a dearth of information about the water usage and the water use efficiency of individual data centers,” she revealed. “I think the first step to managing impacts to water is just ensuring that that information is being reported to the relevant state agency and is accessible.”
“And then beyond that, I think looking at the local watersheds and where the data center water is coming from and putting standards into place that ensure that water use by data centers is not harming sensitive streams, habitat, or groundwater,” she added.
In a rural area of Georgia, homes depend on wells for their water, but the wells ran dry due to excessive sediment buildup caused by the construction of a nearby data center owned by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, according to articles in The New York Times and BBC.
AI and Computer Data Processing Raise Social and Environmental Justice Concerns
As for community impacts from the energy demands of data centers, Kapiloff said, “Any community that is either near where a data center will be sited or is potentially near existing or new fossil generation, those are the communities that will be most impacted by this.”
She cited an example in Randolph, Arizona where a utility decided to keep
operating a fossil gas plant “because there is so much increasing demand on their system, which is largely stemming from data centers. That is a primarily Black community where there are higher incidences of air pollution related to that fossil gas plant and negative health impacts that are associated with that additional pollution burden.”
She also cited an article about a decision by Arizona Public Service, a utility serving the Phoenix metro area, to delay the closure of the Four Corners coal-fired power plant beyond
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AWAKENING Our True Selves
Tina Lifford’s New Book Lays out Steps to Self-Discovery
By Gabrielle West
Has it ever dawned on you that those subtle, negative words you whisper to yourself in moments of uncertainty, or when fear arises, may just be built on a lie you bought into at some point in your life?
Whether it’s childhood trauma or something you’ve experienced in the workplace, from family or just living in modern America, we each have a story we tell ourselves. These stories have the power to shape the way we move about the world and can impact how we connect with ourselves, others and our Creator. Oftentimes, if these lies aren’t exposed and replaced with healthy
thoughts, it can lead us into detrimental cycles that have the potential to affect our everyday lives and communities, and can permeate future generations. “At the core of it lives a damaged sense of self,” says actor, playwright and author of The Inner Fitness Revolution, Tina Lifford.
Lifford’s revolutionary Inner Fitness Movement, which she says is decades in the making, pushes its followers to reject those lies, accept a reimagined truth and get back to who we were created to be, while moving into our true purpose on Earth. She defines “a lie as any person, experience, or thing that left us feeling less than, not good enough, afraid of ourselves, running from ourselves, and disconnected from self.”
I was first introduced to Lifford as Otis’ mama on the TV miniseries and cult-classic, The Temptations. More recently, she played Aunt Vi on the OWN Network series, Queen Sugar. But it’s not her notable film credits,
being an author, playwright or even her captivating smile that reels you in – it’s her wisdom and authenticity that drew me.
Lifford, this was just the beginning. She knows that her true purpose is to help others evolve and to understand that none of us are our titles, or even the person our loved ones come to depend on. We are truly purposed to be the “highways of the Infinite,” the vessels which God uses to reach others and help along the way.
If you were to visit her Instagram page, you’ll see what I mean. Consider @TinaLifford a much-needed timeline cleanse to break up the negativity, gossip and phony content that so often gets pushed by the latest algorithm of the day. Through her authentic storytelling, nuggets of wisdom and intentionality, she gives you permission to break free from the lie of perfection we’ve often been
to sing her song, she froze and no words came out of her mouth. She moved on with her life still carrying a deep passion for acting, but due to this childhood trauma she was still anxious about auditioning. In her 20s, while working as a publicist’s assistant, she remembers hearing an audible clear voice that changed the course of her life forever.
“If you don’t try this acting thing, you’ll be 40 and unhappy.”
Not wanting to leave her dream on the table, she started auditioning, booked a few gigs, was able to earn six figures and the rest is history. For some, this would be the ultimate goal and where we all stand up and cheer knowing that she made it, but for
Tina represents what can happen when we move past the deception we’ve partnered with, and create the life we want for ourselves with selfawareness, doing the heart work and actionable steps laid out in her latest book, The Inner Fitness Revolution. Her advice to us is to “start with discovering yourself because inside of you is your purpose. Your purpose and power will help you navigate the road that belongs to you and in that navigation you will become stronger.”
Lifford will bring her message of healing and wholeness to Denver on October 23 at “An Evening with Tina Lifford,” presented by the Center for African American Health. In honor of Depression and Mental Health Awareness Month, she’ll share practical tools from her Inner Fitness Project to help our community confront lies, embrace truth, and move toward living with purpose.
For tickets and more information, visit www.caahealth.org ♦
Continued from Page 9 its original 2013 closure date to 2038 or later. As a result, the tribal nations and communities in that area will continue to deal with heath issues exacerbated by coal generation pollution.
“I think that fossil generation not being retired, or new fossil generation being on the system, is a social and environmental justice issue, especially based on where that energy production is sited,” she said. She also noted that increased electricity rates due to energy development for data centers, if allocated business-as-usual to all customers, would most effect lowincome individuals and families.
State Rep. Bacon also has concerns about coal power generation, and the need to transition from coal to cleaner, renewable sources.
“We care about how communities are impacted by energy. We’ve been in a battle with Suncor for quite some time because we have seen the impacts from air quality to water quality for a while. Colorado has been on the EPA’s list. We have been in violation of the Clean Air Act for air quality for decades now,” she said, clarifying that the geography of the Front Range contributes to the smog issue.
“I do predict that if we get to a place where data centers want to operate here, we will push the operators to think cleanly and renewably. You know, we’re watching,” she added. “And guess where those data centers are? Because, you know, unfortunately, disenfranchised and marginalized people tend to be in places where they put those types of development, where they think they can get away with it. You know, the first rule of real estate is location, location, location. They’re not going to put a plant in a place with mansions.”
Bacon cited an article about a lawsuit brought by the NAACP against Elon Musk’s data centers that are burning methane in Memphis, Tennessee. According to an article in The Guardian, the Southern Environmental Law Center has conducted studies on the pollution that the methane gas turbines emit and says they have the capacity to emit thousands of tons of harmful nitrogen oxides, along with toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde.
Though Arizona and northern Nevada have been primary destinations for data centers in the U.S. West, Colorado is also a desirable location due to the availability of undeveloped
land, low risk of major natural disasters, and access to electricity generation, Kapiloff explained
“We are starting to see quite a bit of data center growth along the Front Range. For example, the QTS facility in Aurora,” she said.
Kapiloff concluded that a really important takeaway about the water and energy consumption of data processing centers is how we think about AI, cloud computing and other related internet use. “It doesn’t necessarily feel like there’s physical infrastructure associated with it, but there is so much physical infrastructure associated with it. And that infrastructure is thirsty. It’s consuming water, and it’s also very consumptive in terms of its electricity needs,” she said.
She proposed that it is important to understand when data centers are planned in Colorado, there are impacts to our already very constrained water supplies. Plus, there might be “kitchen table impacts in terms of the way that electricity rates could potentially be increased to pay for all of this infrastructure. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
She summed it up, saying, “You know, it might be easy to just use
Continued From Page 3
white city in 1991 and won two more terms because the voters believed in me. They trusted I would represent all Denver residents from all walks of life.
As a state, we must embrace all voters to keep our freedoms strong. We can’t ignore what’s going on in Washington, D.C., and the pain of these policies on our fellow Americans. ♦
Editor’s note: Wellington E. Webb is an American politician. He served as a Democratic member in the Colorado House of Representatives and was the first African American mayor of Denver, Colorado, serving from 1991 to 2003.
ChatGPT or to have AI summarize something for you when you’re doing a search, but that is tied to this infrastructure, which is consuming water and energy.” ♦
Contributor’s Note: You can learn more about this topic in the report: https:// westernresourceadvocates.org/wp-content/ uploads/2025/07/Data-Center-Impacts-inthe-West.pdf
GLORIOUS EVENING OF HOPE Denver Hosts Fundraiser for Keisha Lance Bottoms
By Karen Davis
Former Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock brought together civic leaders, community voices, and supporters at Spangalang Brewery in historic Five Points for a stirring fundraiser supporting Keisha Lance Bottoms campaign for Georgia governor. The evening event on Sept. 19 was hailed by guests and organizers as a celebration of courage, resilience, and shared purpose. From heartfelt greetings to constant applause, the night radiated warmth and inspiration as leaders from across Denver gathered to stand with Bottoms, guided by Hancock’s invitation and vision.
Spangalang Brewery, a Black-owned, “jazz-inspired” microbrewery, provided a backdrop with deep neighborhood roots. Norman Harris, Spangalang’s part owner, was born and raised in Denver with five generations of family legacy tied to Five Points.
Bottoms is an attorney who served as the mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, from 2018 to 2022. Before becoming mayor, she was an Atlanta City Council member. She served as vice chair of civic engagement and voter protection at the Democratic National Convention from 2021 to 2025, senior advisor and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement in 2022 and 2023, and a member of the President’s Export Council.
Bottoms worked as a political commentator for CNN from Feb 2022 until she launched her bid for governor of Georgia in the 2026 election.
The Sept. 19 program in Denver opened with words from Hancock.
“I have seen her rise to every occasion,” he said, recalling her leadership during national unrest, the pandemic, and political turmoil. “Keisha stood strong when the world felt chaotic. She led with courage, compassion, and love for her people.”
He emphasized that Bottoms is more than a colleague. “I consider her family. And tonight, Denver stands with her as she steps boldly into a fight that matters to us all,” he commented.
Taking the microphone, Bottoms spoke with her signature blend of conviction and warmth. She reflected on her journey from Atlanta’s City Hall to the Biden-Harris White House, and her decision to step once again into the public arena.
“When I left the mayor’s office, I said it was a comma, not a period, in my public service,” she said. “In this season, I know I am called back into the room.”
She reminded the crowd that true leadership is not about titles but about service. “It’s about answering the call when the times demand it,” she said, drawing nods and steady applause.
As Bottoms outlined her vision for Georgia, her priorities appeared to resonate deeply with the audience.
In her education platform, she plans to eliminate state income taxes for teachers. She explained, “We face a terrible teacher shortage. If we want strong schools, we must lift up the people who nurture the next generation.”
To address health care, she pressed the urgency of expanding Medicaid, noting that 300,000 Georgians remain uninsured. “In more than half of our counties, there is no OB-GYN, no pediatrician. More people are dying than being born. This is life or death,” she warned.
To support small business, she called for equitable access to capital and relief from burdensome tariffs, describing small businesses as “the backbone of our economy,” and stating that “supporting them supports every family.”
Concerning housing, she stressed the urgency of affordable housing, noting, “Every Georgian deserves to live with dignity, and that begins with a roof over their head.”
She called on leaders to put people before politics. “We have endured poor leadership. We have endured hateful leadership. Now is the time for strong, compassionate leadership that serves the people first,” she said.
Audience members described the evening as “extraordinary,” “uplifting,” and “a reminder of what real leadership looks like.” Bottoms answered questions from the audience and closed by returning to her central theme of faith and service: “For everything there is a season. And in this season, I know I am called back into the room.” ♦
Editor’s note: For more information on Keisha Lance Bottoms and her campaign, visit, https://www.keishaforgovernor.com/
Keisha Lance Bottoms and Michael B. Hancock
Keisha Lance Bottoms, third from left surrounded by supporters
Keisha Lance Bottoms, at center surrounded by supporters
BRIC BY BRIC
By Niambi Nicholes
The Black Resilience in Colorado (BRIC) Fund is turning five; and like any milestone birthday worth celebrating, we’re showing up with laughter, storytelling, and a vision bold enough to fuel the next five – and beyond. On Saturday, Nov. 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Westin Denver Downtown (1672 Lawrence St. in Denver), we’re inviting community, family, and friends to gather for an unforgettable afternoon of inspiration.
BRIC never does ordinary and this event is no exception. The powerhouse lineup will be awardwinning actor and comedian Anthony Anderson alongside Denver’s own celebrated filmmaker, producer, and proud East High School graduate, Dallas Jackson. Together, they’ll bring authenticity, truth, and humor to a stage that centers the very
cornerstones of BRIC’s work –resilience, creativity, and wellness.
Five Years in the Making
In 2020, the BRIC Fund was born out of a vision to invest in Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits and affirm the solutions our communities have always carried. Fast forward five years: BRIC has invested more than $5 million in more than 400 organizations across Colorado — tackling housing, education, health, economic justice, and cultural preservation.
Celebrating 5 Years of Resilience, Creativity and Wellness
“This milestone celebrates the power within our community to create change,” explained LaDawn Sullivan, executive director of the BRIC Fund. “It’s a reminder that when we invest in ourselves, we create lasting impact for generations to come.”
Spotlight on Special Guests
Anthony Anderson has spent decades telling stories that make us laugh, cry, and see ourselves reflected with honesty. Offscreen, his advocacy is just as impactful. Through the Anthony Anderson Family Foundation, he champions health, education, and youth empowerment — building on his openness about his personal health journey to sparking urgent conversations about disparities in the Black community. Anthony embodies BRIC’s belief that wellness is collective, not individual.
Born and raised in Denver, Dallas Jackson has carved out a career in Hollywood, collaborating with industry icons while
staying deeply rooted in community. From creating opportunities for youth to understand the power of storytelling their own, to mentoring college students at his alma mater Howard University to serving homeless families – Dallas brings his creativity home with a passion for lifting up the next generation.
“By giving back, we not only honor the struggles and triumphs of those who came before us but also contribute to a supportive environment that nurtures the next generation,” said Jackson.
What’s Next: BRIC by BRIC
This celebration isn’t just about looking back. It’s a call to action. A reminder that when we pool our time, talent, treasure, testimony, and ties, we are not just building a fund, we are building a future.
BRIC by BRIC, we are rewriting the story for Colorado’s Black communities.
So don’t miss this moment. Bring your joy, your laughter, your vision, and your voice to this anniversary celebration. Let’s honor what we’ve built together, and dream about what comes next. ♦
Editor’s note: For more information about the BRIC Fund, visit bricfund.org. To RSVP for tickets, purchase a table or explore sponsorship opportunities at spotlightcolorado.org.
MEDICINE Through the Ages with Holistic Professionals of Color
By Misti Aas
Karen
“Raye” Haymore, Ph.D., is a warrior in more ways than one. Proud of her Montbello roots, Haymore has been a tireless advocate for health equity and natural medicine for most of her life.
After graduating from Montbello High School in 1990, she continued pursuing her lifelong learning at Langston University in Oklahoma. Following that higher education degree came a master’s, and eventually several certifications and doctoral degrees in various natural healing modalities from a variety of universities and online sources.
Describing her philosophy about earning credentials, “Like Lay’s potato chips, you can’t eat just one,” laughed Haymore.
Her impetus gained clarity shortly after graduate school when she began having unexplained daily headaches. She would self-medicate, popping Excedrin like candy, to gain temporary relief. When she sought traditional medical guidance, the doctor advised her to just keep doing what she was doing if it was working.
“I remember thinking at the time that this cannot be the kind of advice I’m paying medical insurance for,” she said incredulously. “Luckily, Western medicine is increasingly collaborating with holistic medicine in more recent years.”
Her true calling in holistic health happened in her first year of teaching at Challenges, Choices and Images, a K-12 charter school, where she regularly observed fourth graders eating hot Cheetos and Skittles, and drinking soda first thing in the morning.
“I began to notice the correlation of my students who were academically successful and what they were eating, versus the ones who were inversely unsuccessful,” recalled Haymore. “It became very clear to me the role diet plays in our lives, so that’s when I began my professional journey in holistic healing and training.”
Fast forward to 2018 when the naturopathic doctor created the
nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization Holistic Professionals of Color (HPOC). She recognized a void in the existence of any holistic professional association with a cultural lens attached.
“Beginning in the transatlantic slave trade, many of our natural healing practices in the Black community were colonized, criminalized, and demonized,” she explained. “Because
that was stripped away, we lost our connection to the natural ancestral healing, ‘God’s Medicine’ as I call it, so we’re digging that information back up and re-teaching that to new generations.”
African Americans have higher overall disease mortality rates than any other racial or ethnic group in our country. HPOC is on a mission to
bridge health disparities using holistic and culturally responsive health care. The organization’s vision is to support, assist, and spotlight the holistic health industry, equitable research practices, and the validation of ancient healing modalities, and to ensure the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are heard.
Continued on Page 16
There are currently 30 chapters across the United States, including the recently formed Denver branch. Each affiliate offers holistic health services, ranging from herbalism to Reiki, or the root practice of the Sekhem ancient energy healing practice with African symbols and philosophies.
“I believe that the health disparities exist because the cultural piece and specificity necessary for healing is missing,” added Haymore.
Natural and holistic health is the practice of using natural, non-invasive techniques to promote total wellness including and not limited to nutrition, mind-body, life coaching, herbology, iridology, aromatherapy, homeopathy, mind-body connection, vibrational healing, and energy healing.
HPOC offers webinars on a variety of topics, from holistic dentistry to blood pressure education, along with a national conference held annually. This September, the convention was held in Denver with the theme, “We are Healers; Strength in Unity, Power in Community.” An inspiring lineup of activities and guest speakers
included Anthony Carter, documentary filmmaker and author of Ask the Old Guy and Twice as Good, as the keynote. Holistic health awards are given each year to the heroes and sheroes among practitioners across the country.
This mighty group of professionals is changing the game in holistic health equity. At this year’s symposium, HPOC announced the first Black owned and operated holistic health accreditation body, the first Black Herbalist Society, and the first Kemetic Holistic Health Sorority – Sa Ta Nebet.
STUDENT LEARNING MATTERS.
HPOC University came into being in 2020, as a learning platform offering comprehensive online educational opportunities ranging from certificates to doctorate degrees in alternative practices, addressing the cultural holistic education gap.
“The association first began from the need to have like-minded professionals coming together,” said its ambitious founder. “After about two years, onlookers expressed that they wanted to be a part of this, but didn’t have the training, outside of their ancestral paths from mothers, grandmothers, and big mommas – or some were already trained holistic health practitioners. They all had in common that they wanted to learn more, while still being culturally relevant.”
More than five years and 4,000 students later, the curriculum and participant numbers continue to grow. Doulas on each end of the life spectrum, birth and death, are also certified through the online university.
Haymore herself is actively pursuing her third doctorate degree, this time in spiritually-based energy healing. The devoted mother of two grown sons continues to be a
determined warrior, with her Denver alma mater and beyond, in the struggle to overcome the deep-seated enculturation of holistic medicine being ineffective, and the battles of the grant-funding world.
“Educating our community has been a challenge,” she shared, “but it’s a challenge that I will accept. I love it. My greatest reward is when my students call me and tell me how they helped somebody and it worked – which this ancient art undoubtedly does.” ♦
Contributor’s note: For more information on HPOC, visit www. holisticprofessionalsofcolor.org.
WHAT THE ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK REVEALS ABOUT AMERICA
Kirk’s ideology was dangerous and rooted in racism. Violence is never the answer, but his assassination does not erase that truth.
doesn’t end hate; it deepens it, handing extremists a martyr.
Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in broad daylight while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. A sniper fired from a nearby rooftop, and though Kirk was rushed to the hospital, he did not survive.
A Culture of Contempt
Why does violence keep erupting in America? Look at the tone set from the very top. The sitting president has turned ridicule into a political weapon. He described migrants as “poisoning the blood of the nation,” suggested violent behavior is in their “bad genes,” and cast immigrants as an invading army.
violence in one breath while sanctifying the ideas that help fuel it in the next.
A Call to Conscience
From the slave patrols of the 1800s to Reconstruction massacres, Wilmington in 1898, and the lynchings of Jim Crow, America’s history is scarred by bloodshed born of dehumanization. Violence has too often been our answer to disagreement. So why do we act surprised now? When cruelty is rewarded, when ridicule is televised, and when threats are brushed
off as “just politics,” words inevitably turn into bullets.
Individual shooters may be caught. But the culture that incubates violence cannot be handcuffed. Incivility unchecked, rhetoric divorced from respect, divisions deepened rather than bridged—these are the true accomplices.
Charlie Kirk’s death should not make him a poster boy, nor erase the harm of his words. But it must remind us that life is sacred, that violence is always wrong, and that if we cannot learn to disagree without dehumanizing, America will keep turning words into bullets. ♦
Editor’s note: This commentary first appeared at AFRO.com. Frances “Toni” Draper is the publisher of the AFROAmerican Newspaper (the AFRO), with offices in Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
Murder is wrong. Always. No ideology, no political disagreement, no personal offense can justify extinguishing a human life. Students and staff who witnessed the chaos will carry that trauma forever. Kirk’s wife and two young children must live with a grief no family should bear. Assassination is barbaric and indefensible.
But if we stop there, we miss the deeper truth.
Kirk’s Record
Charlie Kirk was no martyr for freedom. He was a provocateur whose rhetoric leaned heavily on racist falsehoods. He dismissed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as “anti-white.” He claimed white privilege was a “myth.” He denounced the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a “huge mistake.” He even reversed his praise of Martin Luther King Jr., later calling him “awful” and a “mythological anti-racist creation.”
Kirk also promoted the so-called “Great Replacement” theory — the white nationalist idea that demographic change in America is an intentional plot to reduce White influence. “The ‘Great Replacement’ is not a theory, it’s a reality,” he declared. Those words emboldened prejudice, spread division, and threatened the dignity of millions of Americans.
Kirk’s ideology was dangerous and rooted in racism. His assassination does not erase that truth. Violence
This isn’t policy — it’s poison. And it doesn’t stop with immigrants. Take my hometown of Baltimore. The president branded the city “disgusting” and “rat and rodent infested,” insisting “no human being would want to live there.” He even threatened to send in the National Guard, as though Baltimore was enemy territory. Those words weren’t aimed at buildings; they were aimed at people — families, communities, and a proud MajorityBlack city reduced to a national punchline.
Baltimore is not unique. The same contempt shows up in attacks on women, journalists, political opponents, and anyone who dares to challenge his narrative. When cruelty becomes a governing style, it signals to the nation that contempt is strength and that opponents are enemies to be destroyed. He didn’t fire the bullet that killed Charlie Kirk. But the climate he nurtured made it easier for someone else to cross that line.
The Problem with Praise
Even more troubling was his response after Kirk’s death. He called him a “great guy,” “legendary,” and a “martyr for truth and freedom.” He even ordered flags flown at half-staff.
That praise is part of the problem. When leaders glorify someone who vilified immigrants, denied systemic racism, and undermined civil rights, they normalize extremism. They send the message that tearing others down is not only acceptable but honorable. It’s doublespeak — condemning
A view of campus near the building where Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, United States on September 10, 2025. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Op-ed by Frances Murphy (Toni) Draper
44 OBAMA THE MUSICAL CAPTURES HISTORY THROUGH SATIRICAL VOICES
Review by LaTerrell Bradford
Political discourse is at an all-time high. If you’re in the mood for a good political laugh, you simply must see *44 The Musical*.
A few friends and I recently took a weekend trip to Chicago specifically to see this musical about our 44th President. You know the one—the man who famously wore the tan suit and burst onto the national scene seemingly out of nowhere as a Senator from Chicago. Yes, that one.
The musical exceeded all our expectations. It’s a satirical retelling of Barack Obama’s presidency, and T.J. Wilkins, the young man playing Barack, absolutely nailed the part. His walk, his demeanor, and his confidence perfectly embodied our 44th president. Michelle Obama is played by the infamous singer Shanice, whose successful career dates
to the 1980s. She hits notes with her beautiful voice that will make you want to shout “Amen!” The tender moments between the two characters beautifully highlight the unique dynamics they navigated as the first African Americans to inhabit the White House as President and First Lady of the United States. The undeniable chemistry between the two actors, and their portrayal of professional and personal “love language,” offers a glimpse into how Barack and Michelle Obama became the mesmerizing force we witnessed in 2008.
Other major characters in the musical are Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, and Sarah Palin to name few. “Steady Joe” will have you laughing until your sides hurt.
Mitch McConnell’s character, surprisingly, wears a red Kangol and raps! Lindsey Graham carries his
as he struts and shuts down every initiative and legislation that
supports. And Sarah Palin? Well, she’s exactly who you’d imagine her to be a pretty face chosen to be a “robot” in a man’s game of political chess. While there’s plenty of satire and the musical is hilarious, it also shares many painful truths. Truths we continue to see today: a lack of concern for the people of the United States, and politics being weaponized and used as a tool to harm and manipulate, rather than to help the taxpayers who fund the U.S. government.
*44 The Musical* truly offers something for everyone: laughter, love, the realization that things are not always as they seem or as they are presented, and, of course, great singing. After all, it is a musical! A musical that you do not want to miss.
The show is running through September 21, in Chicago at the Studebaker Theater.
The next stop for “44 – The Musical” is New York City, at the Daryl Roth Theatre, for a limited eight-week engagement starting with previews on October 14.
This Off-Broadway production follows a successful run in Chicago and will have an official opening on November 6. ♦
Editor’s note: For more information, visit https://44theobamamusical.com/
parasol
Barack Obama
THE CHILDREN ARE UNDER ATTACK — AND THEY ARE NOT WELL
Op-ed by David Adams and Keri Rodrigues
In the Maasai culture of East Africa, the traditional greeting is not “hello,” but “Kasserian Ingera?” — “How are the children?” It’s a question that speaks to a society’s priorities. The well-being of children isn’t just a private concern — it’s the measure of a nation.
By that standard, we are falling short. Our children are under attack and they are not well.
The Trump administration’s policies harm children.
It is not hard to see the contempt that some in power have for children. In early July, without explanation, the Trump administration froze congressionally authorized federal spending for youth development and after-school programs, putting thousands of local initiatives — including Boys and Girls Clubs and school-based community centers — at risk of closure across the country. After weeks of chaos (and litigation) there was a partial thaw. But it is not enough.
These programs provide safe spaces, mentorship, enrichment and support for working families.
We know this to be true through experience. For example, at the Urban Assembly Unison School, a middle school in Brooklyn, 70% of students participated in city-funded after-school programs that support their social, emotional, and academic development. These are the programs that help keep children safe, growing, and thriving all year long. They should never have been cut in the first place.
These casually imposed and reversed cuts are not the only damage the Trump administration is inflicting on children. Also harmful are changes to food aid and healthcare that will make it harder for children to have those things, as well as the evisceration of the federal Department of Education.
About 8% of New York state’s education spending is federally funded,
Federal cuts to health care, food aid, and after-school programs reveal a troubling contempt for children’s well-being.
but that percentage is much higher in more rural areas. More than half of the districts that will see the largest cuts are in rural West Virginia, Florida, Georgia, and California, and they serve a much larger percentage of students affected by poverty.
These are real children the federal government is proposing to harm.
At the same time, proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would cut food benefits for millions of Americans, all while stripping over a million children of access to free school meals. In a country where 1 in 5 children live in households
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where there isn’t enough food to eat, this isn’t just bad policy — it’s a direct assault on children’s health, development, and dignity. These are real children the federal government is proposing to harm, with ambitions and aspirations to contribute to their communities and our nation. Let’s lift our children up.
Every day, we see the benefits of nourishing children with food, knowledge and ambition. In Urban Assembly schools, where 87% of our 9,000 students face economic hardship, graduation rates are amongst the highest in New York City. That’s because students get what they need: food, high-quality academics, socialemotional learning and teachers who see and develop their potential.
The Trump’s administration’s policies harm children, including those the Urban Assembly serves. The relationship between poverty and academic achievement is already too strong. A 2005 meta-analysis across 60 studies demonstrates a strong negative correlation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement. That means poorer students consistently perform worse in school. More recent research found that the achievement gap between children from wealthy and impoverished families has grown by 40% since the 1960s. We can do better.
And while the pandemic has exacerbated students’ academic challenges, as shown by declining NAEP scores in reading and math, surely making kids hungrier will not help. When children are undernourished, unsupported or left without stable environments, their ability to learn — and to thrive — erodes.
The federal government has a responsibility to our nation’s children. The preamble to our Constitution commits us to “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” That includes making sure every child has enough to eat, a safe place to grow, and a real shot at the future. Instead, this administration is reneging on that promise from our nation’s Founders. But we will not.
Attacking children has never been popular.
This administration may be comfortable with a decision to throw away children’s lives, but we must not be. The American people do not agree with this war on children. Attacking
children has never been popular. Investing in education reflects society’s clearest investment in itself. As Frederick Douglass reminded us, “It’s better to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Let us heed his wisdom and build strong, capable children who will support our communities and our nation.
This is not about partisanship. This is about priorities.
Kids are loved, and beloved — but they don’t vote. We hate to think so cynically, but that is clearly the political calculus. Children rely on us to be their representatives, their voice, their advocates, their protectors, and we cannot fail them. The choices we make today, from investing in education that prepares children for the jobs and economy of the future to supporting funds for teacher development, to protecting the critical safety net here at home, will shape the world our children inherit.
The children are not well. And this administration must end its war on them. We are the solution. Let’s act like it. ♦
Editor’s note: David Adams is CEO of the Urban Assembly, a network of public schools in New York City. Keri Rodrigues is the founding president of the National Parents Union. This article was first published by Word In Black, a national media brand innovating on the legacy of the Black Press. As ‘Black America’s Digital Daily,’ Word In Black build on the historical role of the Black Press in informing, empowering, and mobilizing our audiences across journalism, research and events. For more information or to donate, visit https:// wordinblack.com/newsletters/
MAYOR, CITY COUNCILMAN Show How It’s Done on the Dance Floor
By Joanne
Their jobs call for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and City Councilman Darrell Watson to step gingerly when it comes to dealing with complex issues affecting the city and its residents.
Which may have served them well as they prepared for the 15th Dancing with the Denver Stars, signature fundraiser for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance.
Johnston, partnered with CPRD pro Caeli Blake for a blazing hot cha-cha, and Watson, who came very close to outdoing pro Melvin Sutton with some crazy hip-hop moves, brought down the house prolonged standing ovations from the 800-plus who’d gathered at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel for this Aug. 23 event emceed by actor-comedian Shed G.
“Well all right,” exclaimed Cleo Parker Robinson as Watson and Sutton exhibited their talent to “Lady Marmalade.”
Co-chairs Stacey and Michelle Campbell and Lisa Levin Appel report that while total income is still being tallied, the paddle-raise alone brought in a record $193,200, which is earmarked for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s Arts-in-Wellbeing, a program that includes a course titled Mental Health is Wealth.
“In the face of greater economic and social uncertainty we rely on the arts and strong cultural institutions to keep us grounded, healthy and vibrant,” added Malik Robinson, president/CEO of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. “With our new Center for the Healing Arts on the horizon,
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is poised to augment its capacity to serve the growing needs and demands of our communities.”
His mom, Cleo Parker Robinson, admitted to being overwhelmed by the event’s “extraordinary” success. “When we started out, we didn’t have a dime, or a building.” Today, with a multimillion-dollar expansion underway at the dance company’s headquarters in the historic Shorter AME Church in Five Points, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is poised to become the hub for dance, culture and education in Denver.
The paddle-raise was called by Simone Ross, president/CEO of the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and a professional auctioneer who also was part of the evening’s Starlettes.
The Starlettes – nine civic leaders including DCPA chief Janice Sinden, The Equity Project founder Dwinita Tyler, business consultant/public speaking coach Gloria Neal and banker Faye Tate — helped carry out the fundraiser’s theme of “From Doo-Wop to Hip-Hop: Celebrating Girl Groups” by dancing to tunes made famous by the Supremes, TLC and Destiny’s Child.
In addition, early childhood education advocate Anna Jo Haynes was presented with the inaugural Cleo Parker Robinson Legacy Award. “Cleo and I love the kids so much,” Haynes said, “and her programs set them on the right road for life.” And, artist Darrell Anderson, who created a piece for the Center for the Healing Arts, was honored as the night’s mystery
dancer, the one accompanying Parker Robinson as she entered the ballroom and made her way to the stage.
Besides Johnston and Watson, the 2025 Denver Stars were: Jeronimo Villa, a district manager with US Bank; Debbie Brown, president of Colorado Business Roundtable; Loren Furman, president/CEO of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce; Nicole Dorsey, a vice president with PNC; Dianne Myles, founder of Human Focused Media; Brian Flores, morning anchor on CBS Colorado; Kelli Ogunsanya, chief operating officer of Delta Dental Colorado; Chad Oliver, LOM Consulting Services; Paul Adkins, senior marketing manager for CoBank; Juan Suarez, vice president and chief inclusion officer for Southwest Airlines; Dr. Andre Mansion, CEO of Big Haus Consulting; and Michael Sapp, state government affairs manager for Xcel Energy
For more information, visit www. cleoparkerdance.org. ♦
Editor’s note: This article, published by Colorado Politics, is republished with permission from the publisher.
Davidson Special to Colorado Politics
Photos by Steve Peterson
YET ANOTHER REASON to Remember Charlie Kirk
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
No one was more enraged or outraged than I was at Charlie Kirk’s knock of Dr King as a bad person. His put down of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. His slur of Black women as less than brain worthy. And his digs at gays, Muslims, and of course the perennial whipping boy, the radical left. I and other roundly hit back and hit back hard at his assault. I, and many others, were some of his bitterest political enemies. Yet we quickly and forthrightly condemned his killing.
attention to the often-glaring double standard in how the killings of those on the left or liberals, or just victims of mindless violence in general, are treated when it comes to much of the media and public officials’ attention-or lack thereof.
There was the slaying of the Democratic State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home in Minnesota, the deaths of a Black man in Mississippi under questionable circumstances, and the shooting of children at a Colorado school. I could cite others. But these three occurred either close to Kirk’s slaying or in the case of the Minnesota Democratic Party couple several months earlier. Close enough.
dual standard in another way. Every Democratic official denounced the two assassination attempts on Trump. Nearly one hundred House Democrats voted for a Kirk Day of Remembrance.
Yet Trump did not return the political favor. He did not issue a full-throated condemnation of her killing nor did few other GOP public officials.
Hortman’s killing and the other killings did get much media coverage. But it didn’t’ last. There are no days of remembrance called for in memory of their deaths or those of others.
However, this is not why I say remember Kirk. He did something that had flown far under the media and public radar scope. He drew lots of
The non-stop Trump blasts, and equally non-stop media coverage, and much of the public rivet on Kirk’s killing forced some in the media and many critics to pirouette for a moment from
Kirk. They revisited the reportage on the Minnesota killing, and the ran stories on the other killings. Some critics did more than remind the public that they begged for attention too. They demanded that Trump, the GOP, and rightist bloggers, writers and pundits, make public utterances about these tragedies too.
The slaying of Hortman by an avowed right-wing hate monger was a near textbook example of the
It took the Kirk killing to remind many that violence doesn’t’ just stop at the doorstep of innocents or liberal Democrats. So, there is another reason to remember Kirk not just because of the horror of assassination. But for his drawing some media and public attention to all senseless violence and that certainly includes those who don’t hold Kirk’s view. ♦
Editor’s note: Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His latest book is Trump for Sale (Middle Passage Press) He is the publisher of thehutchinsonreport. net
WHY Q4 MAY BE THE SMARTEST TIME TO BUY A HOME
By Barry Overton
As we approach the final quarter of the year, many potential buyers step back from the housing market, assuming the holidays or financial uncertainties make it a poor time to buy. Yet for those with foresight, this season represents a strategic window of opportunity. Here are seven compelling reasons why positioning yourself to purchase a home in the fourth quarter could be one of the smartest financial moves you’ll make.
1. Less Competition During the Holiday Season
When the calendar flips toward the holidays, many buyers put their home search on hold. Families are focused on travel, shopping, or year-end commitments, leaving fewer active competitors in the market. This lull creates a golden opportunity: buyers can avoid bidding wars, negotiate more favorable terms, and capture homes that might have attracted multiple offers earlier in the year. Think of it as shopping the housing market during its “off-season” — when patience and timing pay off.
2. Falling Interest Rates
Interest rates have been one of the most closely watched metrics for buyers and sellers alike. The good news? Recent drops have brought us to the lowest levels seen in the past 12 months. For buyers, this translates into meaningful savings — both in monthly payments and long-term interest costs. A small percentage reduction in rates can add up to tens of thousands of dollars over the life of a loan. Waiting until next year could mean missing out if rates shift upward again.
3. Motivated Sellers Looking to Close Before Year-End
Many sellers list their homes in the fourth quarter because they have a pressing reason to move — relocation for a job, tax purposes, or a desire
Seven Reasons Why Buyers Should Position Themselves
Now for Homeownership
to start fresh in the new year. This motivation often makes sellers more flexible on pricing, concessions, and closing timelines. Buyers who act now can leverage these dynamics to secure better deals than they might find in the busier spring market.
4. Tax Advantages of Closing Before December 31
Purchasing a home before the year ends can open doors to tax benefits. Homeownership expenses such as mortgage interest, points, and property taxes may be deductible, reducing taxable income for the year. For buyers who close in the fourth quarter, these deductions can provide immediate financial relief when filing taxes, rather than waiting another full year.
5. Inventory That Still Holds Opportunity
While inventory often shrinks in the winter months, the homes that remain are typically listed by serious sellers. Instead of sifting through inflated springtime prices and cosmetic listings, buyers are more likely to encounter properties that represent real value. With fewer casual sellers in the mix, the selection process can become more focused and strategic.
6. The Psychological Advantage of Being Early
Entering the new year as a homeowner also builds confidence and momentum, setting a financial and lifestyle foundation while others are still planning resolutions.
7. A Chance to Align Homeownership with Long-Term Goals
The close of the year naturally inspires reflection and planning. Buying during this period isn’t just about catching a market dip — it’s about aligning the milestone of homeownership with broader life goals. Whether it’s establishing stability for a family, investing in generational wealth, or simply locking in a lifestyle shift, making the move now can serve as the ultimate year-end accomplishment. Rather than delaying progress, buyers can begin 2026 already living their vision.
The Bottom Line
While conventional wisdom suggests waiting until spring to buy, today’s
Buying in the fourth quarter positions homeowners ahead of the next wave of buyers who traditionally flood the market in spring. This early move means you’re already settled, benefiting from appreciation and equity gains while others are just beginning their search. Jazz by
Straight-ahead jazz on alto and tenor sax for events and recordings.
market conditions argue otherwise. Less competition, motivated sellers, and the lowest interest rates in a year create an environment ripe for serious buyers. Add in the financial and psychological advantages of closing before year-end, and the fourth quarter emerges as a uniquely strategic time to act.
For buyers willing to look beyond holiday distractions, the next few months could provide the competitive edge they’ve been waiting for. In real estate, timing is everything — and right now, the timing couldn’t be better. ♦
Editor’s note: Barry Overton is a Denverbased real estate advisor, veteran, and mentor. He helps investors, homeowners, and agents unlock wealth-building opportunities across the country. Follow him for more insights on market trends, AI in real estate, and personal development for entrepreneurs. Contact him at 303-668-5433
ALL THINGS
The Masks Boys Wear
By Dr. Dedrick Sims, CEO, Sims-Fayola Foundation
October is the month when masks are everywhere. Store shelves are lined with superheroes, villains, clowns, and creatures of every kind. Kids dress up, hide their faces, and step into new identities for a night of fun. But the truth is, many boys don’t take their masks off when Halloween ends. They wear them every day, not to go trickor-treating, but to survive in a world that doesn’t always welcome their true selves.
Boys
lead to being teased, overlooked, or misunderstood. So, they cover up. They create characters. They become experts at hiding in plain sight.
Why Boys Wear Masks
These masks aren’t made of plastic or fabric. They’re made of behaviors, attitudes, and performances that boys put on to protect themselves. They learn early that showing too much emotion or being too vulnerable can
Why do boys feel the need to wear these masks? Society tells them over and over again what being a boy or a man is supposed to look like. Be tough. Don’t cry. Man up. Shake it off. These messages sink in, often before they can even put words to their feelings. Many boys fear being judged if they show sadness or anxiety. Some fear rejection if they admit they are struggling. Others are simply trying to fit in with peers who are wearing the same disguises.
For boys of color, the masks can be even heavier. They are not only navigating the expectations of masculinity, but also the weight of
stereotypes that tell them they are dangerous, lazy, or less capable. Some learn to wear a “tough guy” mask to protect themselves in neighborhoods where vulnerability feels unsafe. Others put on the achiever mask to prove they belong in spaces that doubt them. Many wear what I call the “double mask,” one face for their peers and another for teachers or authority figures who may view them through a racialized lens.
The Masks Boys Commonly Wear
Over the years of mentoring boys, I’ve noticed the masks that show up most often.
The Clown. This is the boy who always has a joke, who makes everyone laugh, who can lighten the mood in any room. But humor is often his shield.
We Make a Great Team
Behind the jokes may be insecurity, sadness, or even pain.
The Athlete. Sports can be a beautiful outlet, and many boys thrive on the field or the court. But for some, athletic dominance becomes a mask. For boys of color especially, the athlete mask can carry the burden of expectation, as if athletics are the only accepted path to success.
The Silent One. These boys withdraw and say as little as possible. Silence can feel safe, especially for boys carrying trauma they can’t put into words. For boys of color, silence can also be a survival strategy. Saying less means fewer chances of being misunderstood, punished, or stereotyped.
The Tough Guy. He projects aggression and confidence. But often, that mask hides deep vulnerability. Boys of color in particular are pushed into this mask by systems that discipline them more harshly than their peers.
The Achiever. This is the boy who does everything right, who pushes himself to excel, who seems to be the model student. For boys of color, this mask often carries the added pressure of disproving stereotypes and representing their entire community.
The Cost of Wearing Masks
Masks help boys survive, but they come at a cost. When boys feel they
Dr Janice Jarrett O D
always have to perform, they lose the opportunity to form authentic connections. They start to believe their real selves aren’t acceptable. Over time, the masks harden into identities that can be difficult to remove.
A boy who never feels safe enough to cry grows into a man who struggles with intimacy. A boy who only feels valued for his performance grows into a man who never feels good enough. For boys of color, the cost is compounded by systems that reward the mask and punish authenticity.
How Adults Can Help Boys Remove Masks
The first step is noticing. Look for changes in behavior. If the class clown is suddenly quieter than usual, something may be going on. If the achiever pushes himself harder than seems healthy, there may be more at play than ambition.
The next step is creating safe spaces. Boys need environments where they can take off the masks without fear of ridicule or rejection. For boys of color, these spaces must also acknowledge race and culture, giving them permission to bring their full identities without judgment.
Adults also need to model vulnerability. When boys see the men in their lives talk honestly about struggles or emotions, they learn that being real is not a weakness but a strength.
Another way to help is by affirming identity. Boys need to know that their worth isn’t tied to performance, toughness, or silence. They need to hear that being a boy or a man means having a full range of emotions and that asking for help does not make them less.
Finally, encourage healthy outlets. Not every boy will be able to talk about what he feels right away. Some will
write, draw, play sports, or make music as a way to express themselves.
My Final Thought
This month, as you see costumes and masks everywhere, I challenge you to look closer at the boys in your life. What masks might they be wearing? What are they hiding behind the humor, the silence, the achievements, or the toughness? Most importantly, what can you do to help them feel safe enough to take those masks off?
The strongest boys are not the ones who can hide the best. The strongest
boys are the ones who know they can be seen for who they really are and still be loved. ♦
Editor’s note: Sims-Fayola Foundation is a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the life outcomes of young men of color through direct programming and systems change. We envision a world where every boy is affirmed, challenged, and equipped to fulfill his potential. Learn more at www.sffoundation.org or contact us at 720-557-8443 or dedrick@ sffoundation.org.
Former Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock presented a glorious evening of hope, a fundraiser for Keisha Lance Bottoms at Spangalang Brewery in Five Points. Read more on page 13. Photos by Jennifer
Sisterhood in the City: Our Hyde Park Adventure
Our girls’ trip to Chicago was supposed to be all about 44Obama the Musical — and while the show was amazing (we even met the performers after!), it turned into so much more. We stayed at my brother’s Airbnb in Hyde Park and soaked up the neighborhood’s heart and soul. From seeing the homes of the Obamas, Muhammad Ali, and Minister Louis Farrakhan, to meeting local treasures like Mitts and Mother Africa, every stop had a story. And of course, we couldn’t resist topping it all off with a late-night stop at the legendary Wiener’s Circle — because what’s a Chi-Town trip without that? Laughter, history, food, and sisterhood… this trip had it all. If you’re headed to Chicago anytime soon, check out these gems for an unforgettable experience.
Harris
Photos by all of us!
The Elijah Muhammad Museum is the former home of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s former home in Chicago
President Barack Obama House located in Hyde Park
Former Home of Muhammad Ali
forget!
CURTAIN CALL
Vintage Theatre Presents Angry Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous
The regional premiere of Angry Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous by Pearl Cleage and directed by Adrienne Martin-Fullwood will open in the Bond-Trimble Theatre Oct. 17 at the Vintage Theatre, located at 1468 Dayton St. in Aurora. Performances will run through Nov. 23.
Decades after igniting a major theatrical controversy, Anna Campbell has been invited back to the states to perform one final time. Or so she thinks! Instead of rehearsing for her grand return, she meets the young actress who has been hired to replace her. Can these two women reconcile their vastly different worldviews, make peace, and confront a few lingering ghosts of the past? This dramatic comedy confronts aging, legacy, and honoring the past while embracing an unknown future.
Ticket prices are $36 for general admission; $30 for seniors (60+); and 20 for students and children (12 or younger).
For more information, call 303-856-7830 or visit www.vintagetheatre.org.
Vintage – Arvada – Firehouse
Arvada Center Honors Billie Holiday with Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
The Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities’s Black Box Theatre will turn into an immersive cabaret as it celebrates the music of Billie Holiday with Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, the second production in the Arvada Center’s 2025-2026 theatre season. The play is an intimate solo performance with a live jazz trio, inviting audiences to choose traditional theatre seating or cabaret tables that immerse them in Billie’s show at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.
Directed by Christopher Page-Sanders, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill runs through Nov. 2.
“I am deeply honored to direct Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill at the Arvada Center,” said Director Christopher Page-Sanders. “Billie Holiday’s life is a haunting story of beauty and tragedy. While she gifted the world some of its most powerful, soul-stirring music, few truly grasped the emotional toll of the pain and sorrow it took. In this play, Lanie Robertson has brilliantly crafted a window into Billie’s inner world, and captures her humanity, defiance, and unwavering resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship. It’s a rare and poignant opportunity to see beyond the legend, and witness the raw truth of a woman who gave everything to her art.”
The Arvada Center firmly believes that everyone should experience the transcendent power of the arts and offers accessibility accommodations for people with varying needs including two scheduled performances with American Sign Language interpretation Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 2 p.m., and Audio Described Performance on Oct. 8 at 1 p.m.
To learn more about these performances and all the accessibility offerings, visit our Accessibility webpage and reach out to the Box Office at info@arvadacenter. org or 720-898-7200.
Tickets start at $51. For more information about the show or to purchase tickets, visit, https://arvadacenter. org/events/lady-day-at-emersons-bar-and-grill.
Firehouse Theater Company Presents Alabama Story
Firehouse Theatre announced its upcoming production of Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones, directed by Melissa Lucero McCarl, running September 27–October 26. This powerful and poignant play transports audiences to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1959, at the cusp of the Civil Rights movement, where a battle over a children’s book becomes a flashpoint in the fight for equality.
Based on true events, Alabama Story tells the story of a segregationist State Senator who wages war against a seemingly innocent children’s book depicting the marriage of a black rabbit to a white rabbit. (The book was written and illustrated by Garth Williams who illustrated E.B. White’s Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, as well as Rabbits’ Wedding and other books of his own.) Opposing the senator is a determined State Librarian who refuses to remove the book from library shelves. As their political showdown captures public attention, a more intimate narrative unfolds: two childhood friends—an African American man
and a white woman of privilege— reconnect as adults, confronting the personal and societal divides that have shaped their lives.
Kenneth Jones’ critically acclaimed drama blends humor, heartbreak, and hope, exploring themes of censorship, friendship, and the transformative power of literature. With its vivid characters—political foes, star-crossed friends, and a spirited children’s author— Alabama Story brings to life a Deep South both imagined and achingly real.
“As a lifelong book nerd, I was immediately drawn to this important story with its themes of censorship and racism that are painfully relevant today,” offers Director Melissa Lucero McCarl. “I felt that there was something for everyone to resonate with in this multigenerational cast of characters.”
Alabama Story features the talents of: Martha Harmon Pardee as Emily Wheelock Reed, Cal Meakins as Thomas Franklin, Jeff Jesmer as Garth Williams and others, Matt Hindmarch as Senator E.W. Higgins, Elicia Hesselgrave as Lily Whitfield and Jysten Atom as Joshua Moore. ♦
Editor’s note: Shows will be Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m., plus Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $32 with a group rate of $27 per person for groups of 10 or more. All performances will be at The John Hand Theater at 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver, CO 80230. Tickets and more information available online at www. firehousetheatercompany.com.
HATS off to
Denver Native Kia Milan Wins Creative Arts Emmy® for Netflix Series “The Making of Adolescence”
Denver born and raised Creative Content Producer, Kia Milan was honored with a Creative Arts Emmy® for her work on Netflix’s Short Form Nonfiction Series, “The Making of Adolescence.” The award was presented on Sunday, Sept. 7 at Peacock Theater. This marks Milan’s second Emmy® nomination and her first win, highlighting her growing recognition in the industry.
“The Making of Adolescence” captures the complexity, vulnerability, and resilience with a behind the scenes look at the unique one-shot approach used in the Netflix limited series, Adolescence.
As a producer, Milan played a central role in shaping the series’ narrative and visual style, to bring the ambitious making of episodes to screen. This Emmy® win underscores the growing impact and recognition of short-form nonfiction storytelling, a category that celebrates innovation, efficiency, and the ability to convey meaningful narratives.
A fifth generation native of Denver, Milan’s path to the Emmy® stage began before her work at Netflix. While in high school, she participated in Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation, a summer journalism program for youth, where she cultivated her storytelling, production, marketing and creative
skills. This early experience sparked a passion for creating content that informs, engages, and resonates. That early experience inspired her to pursue a career in media and content creation, combining journalistic rigor with creative vision.
Sims-Fayola CEO Accepted into Harvard’s Senior Executive Fellows Program
Dr. Dedrick J. Sims, CEO of the Sims-Fayola Foundation, has been accepted into Harvard Kennedy School’s prestigious Senior Executive Fellows (SEF) Program.
This intensive program, held October 20 – November 14, brings together senior leaders from around the world to strengthen their ability to lead complex organizations, drive systems-level change, and influence policy at the highest levels.
Dr. Sims’ acceptance recognizes not only his leadership but also the national impact of the Sims-Fayola Foundation’s work to improve life outcomes for boys and young men of color. Through this fellowship, Dr. Sims will bring back insights, strategies, and a strengthened network to advance our Vision 2030 Strategic Plan and deepen our efforts to address systemic barriers in education and beyond.
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ALG Recognizes Deidre Johnson with Social Impact Award
The African Leadership Group (ALG) recognized Deidre Johnson, CEO and Executive Director of the Center for African American Health (CAAH), with its prestigious Annual Social Impact Award at the 2025 Afrik Impact Gala. This award honors leaders whose work strengthens communities, advances equity, and creates lasting impact.
Johnson has led the CAAH since 2015, guiding the organization through significant growth and transformation. Under her leadership, CAA Health has
expanded its reach to serve thousands of community members annually with culturally responsive health education, navigation, and advocacy. The organization plays a critical role in addressing health disparities and supporting African American and Black communities across the Denver metro area.
In presenting the award, ALG Founder and Executive Director Papa Dia highlighted Johnson’s commitment to advancing health equity through collaboration, innovation, and community-centered leadership. Her vision has positioned the CAAH as a trusted hub for resources, advocacy, and wellness, while her voice has amplified urgent conversations about addressing systemic inequities.
The Afrik Impact Gala is ALG’s signature annual celebration, bringing together community leaders, advocates, and supporters to highlight achievements and inspire collective action toward equity and empowerment.
AYA Foundation Announces Lynnette White-Colin as New CEO
After a comprehensive, several-month national search, the AYA Foundation announced the appointment of Lynnette White-Colin as its new chief executive officer. White-Colin, an experienced leader with a strong background in nonprofit management, entrepreneurship and community development, took the helm at Colorado’s premier Black-led community foundation on July 16.
She brings a wealth of expertise to the organization, having previously served as interim CEO and senior vice president for business growth and strategy at the New Orleans Business Alliance. She was a leader in revitalizing New Orleans’ historic cultural corridors.
White-Colin brings over 20 years of leadership experience in economic development and business
growth, with a focus on supporting underrepresented communities. She has dedicated her career to helping Black entrepreneurs access contract opportunities and capital to accelerate growth in their businesses. Her past work includes successfully leading a consortium of community development financial institutions and a group of 25 procurement professionals, resulting in $43 million in capital and $199 million in procurement contracts for small business owners of color in New Orleans.
Outgoing CEO Benny Samuels is retiring in December 2025, having served as the foundation’s founding leader since 2020. Under her leadership, AYA has grown into a critical force for equity in the philanthropic and entrepreneurial landscape.
For more information, visit ayafoundation.org.
Adventure awaits. But first, breakfast.
Fall is in full swing, and so are Colorado’s autumn adventures. Fuel up for the road with a Sausage McMuffin® with Egg (made with a fresh-cracked egg), a Sausage McMuffin®, Sausage Burrito, Sausage Biscuit, or crispy Hash Browns. Even better – buy one, get another for just a dollar. So head to McDonald’s, then head out to explore. If you’re cruising along I-70, don’t miss the stunning views in Vail, Breckenridge and Dillon.
