most inclusive and sensitive manner recognizing the By Carol Roberts diversity of communities Klan in Colorado placed CathSame lack Lives Matter that will live and work olics and Jews high on their list issue—14 5280 distributed in this evolving Denver of targets, perhaps because the years earlier 2,500 flyers in neighborhood. This policy numbers of minorities of color The issue Stapleton the night of is expressly not intended were relatively small. being raised Aug. 8, 2015. The flyer to prohibit references to “Existing social conditions by Black informed residents that Stapleton as a location for also helped the Klan. In the Lives Matter the community’s namemarketing purposes.’” 1920s, Denver suffered a sharp 5280 was sake, Mayor Benjamin Whitney now says, “… increase in prostitution, bootlegbrought to Stapleton, had been a it took a very long time ging, and prohibition violations; the attention member of the Ku Klux to come up with that very police were inefficient and of the StaKlan and the name short resolution because of corrupt. The Klan capitalized pleton De“Stapleton” should be the diversity of viewpoints on these problems, promising to velopment changed. and having the master clean up Denver.” Corporation Mayor Ben Stapleton Bianca Pullen, repredeveloper at the table and Most SDC board members (SDC) by senting the group, says them feeling that a change in the name would were longtime Denver residents who had already another acabout 25 volunteers parsignificantly hamstring their efforts.” Dick Anderspent years advocating for the creation of a diverse tivist group ticipated in this action, son recalls that there was agreement in the SDC inclusive community. They understood the historin 2000. and they want to use board discussions that the word Stapleton would ical context of the city and northeast Denver and (SDC is an their influence “to divertook into consideration a number of factors relating be used in a small font as a “locator” but not as a 11-member sify the neighborhood. primary name and it was expected that the smaller to “Stapleton” including: board of We will be...calling on neighborhood names (Eastbridge, Conservatory Most people knowledgeable about Denver city-appointothers in the community history understood that politicians in the early ‘20s Green) would gradually be used more, and the use ed volunto join with us to engage of Stapleton would diminish. had to be members of the Klan to get elected. teers that is in conversations with Mayor Stapleton served five terms and his accharged with the developers, with the Black Lives Matter 5280 hung a “Change the Name” Responses from the newspapers and the complishments, according to his file on the Denver preserving banner over the Stapleton Town Center sign. master association… Library website, include Denver’s water system, the Citizens Advisory Board the princiAnd so, we believe that Multiple articles about the board’s efforts to Valley Highway project, a new airport and the Red ples of The changing the name and the things that will come minimize the use of Stapleton appeared in The Rocks Theatre. Stapleton Development Plan. Stapleton land is from this, will be a part of creating something Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News in NovemHis daughter-in-law, personally known to conveyed by DIA to SDC, whose legal staff placthat’s more welcoming for ber 2002 (posted at FrontPorchStapleton.com). board members, was living in Park Hill at es covenants on it requiring that it be people of color.” The content ranged from, “You can’t erase history” that time. developed according to the plan.) Stapleton resident Gento “The name will fade over time.” The SDC took that group’s conevieve Swift supports the In December, 2002, Terry Whitney and NaThe naming resolution cerns seriously, say Dick Anderson, Black Lives Matter movedine Caldwell, co-chairs of the Stapleton Citizens Whitney says Forest City stated very president, and Terry Whitney, board ment and she supports Advisory Board (CAB) wrote a strongly worded clearly that they needed to use Stapleton member (who together have served changing Stapleton’s name. letter to Greg Vilkin at Forest City about their use as a locator in the marketing of the new 25 years on SDC or the Citizens Swift joined the Stapleton development. “There was a certain amount of “Stapleton” on a holiday card. Advisory Board). Dick Anderson Genevieve Swift Community Advisory “Four of the six panels (on the card) were of pressure on the city, and in turn, us, as Board’s Affordable Housing and Diversity Comdevoted exclusively to...‘Stapleton.’ We appointed representatives of different Mayor Stapleton and the Klan in Denver mittee a year ago because, she says, “I would like believe the card was inappropriate and neighborhoods to make sure that this SDC reviewed research on Benjamin Staplemy community to be more diverse. insensitive…Stapleton’s association with huge infill project was not going to be a ton and the history of the Klan in Denver. SDC “We need a name that represents the ideals the Klan remains deep in the collective bust.” records in this time period include a report1 that of the Green Book (the Stapleton Development memory of Denver’s African-American At the Feb. 2001 SDC meeting, acstates Klan membership nationwide in 1920 was Plan). There was supposed to be a seamless community. 4,000–5,000 “knights,” but due to their vigorous cording to the minutes, “Terry Whitney transition between Stapleton and the rest of “...Stapleton is viewed in many comspoke on the Naming Process…After recruitment efforts, membership grew to 3 to 6 northeast Denver. I can tell you, I have a lot of munities as having been a great mayor... considerable discussion, the Board, by million by 1924. Terry Whitney friends who don’t feel comfortable walking the However, Ben Stapleton’s connection majority decision, adopted a resolution “During this period, Colorado was virtually streets of Stapleton. It feels like a gated commuwith the building of a new community of homes, that said ‘…Developing new names (for the taken over by the Klan. Although Klan dominanity and they don’t feel welcome.” schools, parks and businesses, where people of all individual neighborhoods) should be done in the tion meant all minorities were threatened, the Photo by Daniel Sauve
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September 2015 6 Stapleton Front Porch
Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library Western History Collection
Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library Western History Collection
Black Lives Matter Calls for Stapleton Name Change