“Compared to the history of the Denver Broncos, Denver International Airport, or iconic citizens like Margaret “The Unsinkable Molly” Brown, Denver’s African-American history is a poorly understood thing.
Turns out that’s true across the Rocky Mountain West. For all of the strides made toward inclusion over the decades — from the 1971 opening of Denver’s Black American West Museum to last week’s announcement of Rev. Kimberly Lucas becoming the first African-American female bishop in Colorado Episcopal Church history — there’s still a dearth of appreciation for the role of African-Americans as pioneers.
And not just homesteaders, miners, soldiers and cowboys, but also doctors, business leaders and educators, many of whom continue building atop the civic achievements left by ancestors like Barney Ford, an escaped slave who moved to Colorado in 1860 and became one of the state’s most prominent businessmen.
“We’re really trying to answer the question, ‘How are we out there?’ ” said Doretha Williams, who works at the National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC), part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.”
read the entire article
Wenzel, John. The Know 31 October 2018.