New Colorado museum exhibit showcases the 1% – the Black community in the state

“Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History” has been in the works for nearly two years, shortly after George Floyd’s murder and the subsequent racial justice protests.

A new exhibit at the Museum of Boulder aims to showcase what it’s like living among the “1%,” a number representing the state’s Black community.

At a time when Deion Sanders’ presence is attracting Black celebrities and athletes to Boulder, CPR News reported that “Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History” provides another opportunity to reflect on the past, celebrate the successes of those who have persevered, and build hope for the future. 

The exhibit has been in the works for nearly two years, shortly after George Floyd’s murder and the subsequent racial justice protests.

“We wanted to talk about the Black experience in Colorado from the earliest days when people of African heritage were in this area,” said Adrian Miller, lead curator of the exhibit, “and then bring it all the way up to the current times.”

According to the Denver Post, the exhibit also comes when the capital city is less diverse than a decade ago, as demographic change and economic expansion have fueled gentrification in many of the city’s primarily Black and Latino communities.

However, the composition of the Denver City Council defies the pattern, with voters recently electing possibly the most diverse team in the city’s history with six Latina and two openly-LGBTQ Black council members. 

“I’m hoping that [the exhibit is] a gateway for people to delve more deeply into Colorado’s Black history,” Miller added, CPR reported, “and then just understand the ways that we have felt so many barriers, obstacles, but we still manage to triumph. We’re resilient, and we assert our humanity.”

The exhibit, which opened on Sept. 29 and will be on display for two years, discusses the life of Anna Belle Riley, the first Black person reportedly born in Colorado in 1864. 

While there is no photo of Riley, the exhibit highlights how she and her family developed community in various ways, including attending a Black church and creating a life for themselves, relating to others, and striving to achieve the American dream. 

Miller was adamant about the exhibit existing beyond the museum, so they hired someone to create a curriculum with the Boulder Valley School District. They’re approximately a third of the way to their $250,000 objective of purchasing tools and materials to help children learn about their heritage. 

It also looks to the future, concluding with an art gallery encouraging visitors to ponder, “What kind of ancestor will you be to future Black Coloradans?” 

As far as the cultural awareness Sanders is helping bring to Boulder amid the exhibit’s opening, Miller said Sanders’ efforts to mentor young Black men don’t go unnoticed.

However, he has heard reservations about bringing them into Boulder, where the reality differs from the picture. 

“But I think it’s exciting to see the community rallying around him and to have the nation looking at Colorado,” Miller added, CPR reported, “and I think it’s a great opportunity for us to have a launching point to explore what Black life is in a place like Boulder, and what Black life is in a place like Colorado.”

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