Proclaiming Colorado's Black History Exhibit at the Museum of Boulder

This project has been in development for over two years and includes a multimedia exhibit, educational curricula, Street Wise murals, oral histories, and a variety of programs. This project aims to amplify Black perspectives and resource Black historians to preserve and share Colorado’s rich and complex Black history.

Annett James, President of the Boulder County branch of the NAACP, says, “Knowledge of the past is the means to transformation. Thank you Museum of Boulder for celebrating the importance of remembering; and learning; and who gets included; and who belongs!”

The exhibit focused on five themes identified by the Advisory Council:

1. How did African Americans build community?

Dearfield agricultural community near present-day Greeley is the most famous example of all-Black communities in Colorado, but there were a number that developed throughout Colorado’s history. Faith communities also play a significant role in fostering community for Black Coloradoans and Boulder’s own historic Second Baptist Church is highlighted through an immersive installation to transport you mind, body, and spirit. 

2. Business and Entrepreneurship

Figures like Clara Brown, who first came to Colorado as a laundress and built her fortune, and entrepreneur O.T. Jackson whose many businesses ventures include Dearfield and Boulder’s own Chautauqua Dining Hall catering are brought to the forefront for their groundbreaking ingenuity. 

3. The Arts

Music, dance, and visual arts played an ongoing role in building Black community. Visitors will enjoy the music of the Second Baptist Church choir and celebrate the legacy of figures like dance entrepreneur, Cleo Parker Robinson. 

4. Social Justice and Civil Rights

In 1895 Colorado had one Black legislator and a few months after Plessy v. Ferguson, he actually got passed through in Colorado the same legal framework as the 1964 Civil Rights Act. So we had that on the books in Colorado in 1895.

5. Afrofuturism

These histories are a means to envision the future of Black Colorado, so the exhibit culminates with work by artists whose work respond to the question, “what type of ancestor will you be for future Black Coloradoans?”

The project is led by The Soul Food Scholar, Adrian Miller. “I often joke that Colorado is very diverse, we have a lot of different types of White people,” says Miller. “But we have a rich Black history. As you can imagine we have a lot of great stories that we can tell so we are seeking to thread the needle to cover a wide variety of perspectives and experiences. One thing that was really important was to get the community involved so they felt like they had an investment in it.”