Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History
Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History
Museum of Boulder
2205 Broadway Street, Boulder, CO 80302
September 30, 2023-September 30, 2025
Admission: $10 for adults; $8 for seniors, college students, and youth (5-17); children under five, museum members, and SNAP cardholders enter for free.
Review by Emily Zeek
While exploring a project on regional barbecue traditions as a follow-up to his book Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, curator and soul food scholar Adrian Miller became entranced by stories of local African Americans and the unique challenges they faced and overcame. [1] While at a dinner party with friends and board members from the Museum of Boulder, he started cooking up an idea for an exhibit to showcase Colorado’s Black history. [2]
An installation view of the visual art Afrofuturism section of the exhibition Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History at the Museum of Boulder. Image by DARIA.
During research at the Denver Public Library on Black, Colorado newspapers, he was captivated by the stories of various individuals. [3] He came across unique and notable figures like Louise V. Bryant, from Colorado Springs, the first African American woman to earn a law degree; Julia Greeley, a formerly enslaved woman, known for her charitable work and who is currently being considered for sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church; and Anna Belle Riley, the earliest known child of African heritage born in the ancestral lands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Utes. [4]
An installation view of historical information and objects in the “Black Coloradan Accomplishments Through 1905” section of Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History at the Museum of Boulder. Image by DARIA.
Now on display at the Museum of Boulder, operated by the Boulder Historical Society, Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History is the culmination of two years of research. As a beneficiary of a federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, it “envisions a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities.” [5]
A view of Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History with Judy Haslee Scott’s quilt Lincoln Hills Colorado: An African American Heartbeat, 2009. Image by DARIA.
In his illustrious professional past, Miller has served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton’s Initiative for One America—a political precursor to Black Lives Matter that sought to improve the lives of Black people through reconciliation. In his current role as the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches, Miller is no stranger to the work of transforming the lives of individuals and communities. [6] As he explains, “Politics is the art of the possible.” Through his various endeavors, he believes his role as an “artist” goes beyond envisioning a more equitable and just future; he strives to make this future happen. [7]
A poster from the film This Is [Not] Who We Are, directed and produced by Beret E. Strong and Katrina Miller, on display in Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History. Image by DARIA.
For the exhibition, Miller and other contributors drew from community resources to proclaim the often ignored, unappreciated, and untold stories of Black Coloradans. Their goal includes transforming the community of Boulder into a more enlightened, respectful, and ethical version of itself. [8] To this end, the exhibition features the 2019 documentary This Is [Not] Who We Are, directed and produced by Beret E. Strong and Katrina Miller, which “explores the gap between Boulder’s self-image and the more complex lived experiences—historical and contemporary—of its Black citizens.” [9]
A detail view of Judy Haslee Scott’s Lincoln Hills Colorado: An African American Heartbeat, 2009, quilt. Image by DARIA.
Following a democratic impulse, Miller collected community surveys that became the basis for the five distinct subject areas of the exhibit: Community Building, Arts and Entertainment, Business and Entrepreneurship, Social Justice, and Afrofuturism. The result is a comprehensive but incomplete exposition of remarkable people and events that have made an indelible mark on the state of Colorado. However, as Miller notes, the exhibit is meant to be more of an appetizer than a main course, leaving visitors not only wanting to learn more but attentive to the diverse agents of change in their midst. [10]
Text panels featuring information about early Black American history in Colorado, which are on display at the beginning of the exhibition Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History. Image by DARIA.
True to his roots as a soul food scholar, Miller pays tribute in the Community Building section to the notable barbeque legend Columbus B. Hill, who moved to Denver from West Tennessee in the late 1870s. Hill supervised massive barbeque gatherings, including tens of thousands at the Colorado State Capitol Building in 1890, the Greeley Potato Day festival in 1894, and the Western Stock Show in 1898. He is also a recent inductee to the American Royal Barbeque Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Kansas.
An installation view of the “Black Coloradan Accomplishments 1951-Present” section of Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History. Image by DARIA.
The Arts and Entertainment section profiles Charles Burrell, considered the Jackie Robinson of classical music, and Hattie McDaniel, the Jackie Robinson of the film industry, recognizing their accomplishments as the first Black individuals in their fields. In the realm of Business and Entrepreneurship, the exhibit highlights Robert F. Smith, owner of one of the largest private equity firms, Vista Equity Partners, and who maintains a residence in the mountains of Colorado.
A text panel in Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History about Boulder’s Mayor Penfield Tate II. Image by DARIA.
Archival objects and documents about Boulder’s Mayor Penfield Tate II. Image by DARIA.
To find inspirational LGBT+ leadership, look no further than former Boulder mayor Penfield Tate II, Boulder’s first and only Black mayor. In the 1970s, Tate helped make Boulder a radically inclusive space for the city’s gay residents, proving that it takes all kinds to create an equitable future. [11] Items from Tate’s archives thus add to the exhibition’s Social Justice theme.
A view of the Dearfield, Colorado section of Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History, including an installation of corn and a recreation of a Dearfield home. Image by Emily Zeek.
A display of objects from the Black community of Dearfield, Colorado and a text panel. Image by Emily Zeek.
Along with computers where anyone can contribute to the exhibit's history, the show also features placards and signage designed by Carol Banks Design. Many include a geometric pattern of a “mountainous sunset with an Afrocentric vibe” to accentuate the content. [12] The space also features an installation commemorating Dearfield, an all-Black agricultural colony, and the only predominantly Black church in Northern Colorado, the Second Baptist Church of Boulder. And, as part of the Afrofuturist theme, a wall of paintings and sculptures.
A detail view of John Toms’ 2 Sides of a Trio, wood, acrylic, and mixed media, 48 x 68 inches. Image by DARIA.
Louise Cutler, Father’s Love, bronze, 7 x 8 x 7 inches. Image by DARIA.
According to Ytasha Womack’s book Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture, Afrofuturism is “both an artistic aesthetic and a framework for critical theory [combining] elements of science fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy, Afrocentricity and magic realism with non-Western beliefs.” [13] The visual aesthetic of Afrofuturism combines futuristic elements with African diasporic and cosmic imagery, usually depicted in bright colors. Before the term was coined in 1993 by scholar and cultural critic Mark Dery in his article “Black to the Future,” Black musicians like Sun Ra and George Clinton also explored the genre. [14]
Adderly Grant-Lord, Joy Elevates, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 inches. Image by DARIA.
Thomas Elias Lockhart III, I Will Send Down an Army for You, mixed media on canvas, 48 x 48 inches. Image by DARIA.
This section includes unique works by Louise Cutler, Adderly Grant-Lord, Dr. Thomas Elias Lockhart III, John Toms, and Jim Wider, who blend painting with sculpture, figurative elements with abstraction, and history with mystical events. [15] Adderly Grant-Lord, the curator for the Afrofuturist portion of the exhibit, “thinks. . . of everyday acts of creating stronger Black futures as acts of Afro-futurism in action,” and “embrace[s] concepts and art outside of the sci-fi aesthetic and artists who did not necessarily consider themselves Afro-futurists.” [16]
Jahna Ray, Dream State, 2023, mural, location: KGNU Headquarters, 1720 14th Street, Boulder, CO 80302. Image courtesy of Street Wise Arts.
Marcus Murray, Astro, 2023, mural, location: The Root of the Hill, 1121 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80302. Image courtesy of Street Wise Arts.
Outside of the museum, murals facilitated by Street Wise Arts—a Boulder non-profit whose mission is to enhance the urban environment—serve as an extension of the show. Marcus Murray’s Astro features a blue-haired, Black astronaut in a purple suit, and Jahna Ray’s Dream State depicts a contemplative Black figure with a third eye. [17] The muralists' diversity and range of expression are inspirational and hopeful—a true inheritance from ancestors who stood up, spoke up, and did the work to make the future a world worth living in.
A photo of the panel discussion that took place at the Museum of Boulder on January 20, 2024, organized by Street Wise Arts featuring, from left to right: Devin “Speaks” Urioste, Marcus Murray, Jahna Ray, Rob Hill, and Yazz Atmore, with host Moe Gram. Image by Emily Zeek.
Additionally, as part of Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History, a panel discussion took place on January 20, 2024. It was hosted by local artist Moe Gram and featured five dynamic muralists from the Street Wise Arts project who explored the realities of the Black experience through the lenses of working artists. They spoke of their varied backgrounds and offered some incredibly thought-provoking and sage advice about how to navigate present realities. The artists also addressed what they hope to leave behind, building on the exhibition’s theme to encourage viewers and artists to consider “what kind of ancestor you will be for future Black Coloradans.” [18]
A recreation of the interior of the Second Baptist Church of Boulder in the Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History exhibition. Image by DARIA.
Overall, the presentation of the show’s information is encyclopedic and fact-based. It evokes other comprehensive collections of Colorado’s Black History, like the Blair Caldwell African American Research Library in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. However, including a recreation of a church in the gallery also highlights the impact of religion on Black culture and history. While examples of more revolutionary movements like the Black Panthers and their contribution to Colorado’s Black history are absent from the exhibit, Henry Louis Gates Jr. argues that religious life, especially Christian traditions for Black people in America, was liberatory in and of itself and provided a liminal space to imagine and practice equitable future realities. [19]
Emily Zeek (she/her) is a transmedia and social practice artist from Littleton, Colorado, who works with themes of feminism, sustainability, and anti-capitalism. She holds a BFA in transmedia sculpture from the University of Colorado Denver and a BS in engineering physics from the Colorado School of Mines.
[1] Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, won the 2014 James Beard Award.
[2] From Adrian Miller’s Curator’s Talk on January 20, 2024.
[3] Ibid.
[4] "Proclaiming Colorado's Black History," Museum of Boulder, https://museumofboulder.org/exhibit/proclaiming-colorados-black-history/.
[5] From the exhibition signage.
[6] Adrian E. Miller, "Meet Adrian," https://adrianemiller.com/about/meet-adrian/.
[7] From my conversation with Adrian Miller on January 20, 2024.
[8] "Copy of Proclaiming Program," Museum of Boulder, https://museumofboulder.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Copy-of-Proclaiming-program-2.pdf.
[9] This Is Not Who We Are film, https://www.thisisnotwhowearefilm.com/.
[10] From my conversation with Adrian Miller on January 20, 2024.
[11] Jennifer Zukowski, "Meet Penfield Tate – A Boulder History Icon," Your Boulder, https://yourboulder.com/penfield-tate-boulder-history/.
[12] From Adrian Miller’s Curator’s Talk on January 20, 2024.
[13] See Ytasha Womack, Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture (Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 2013). This quote comes from Womack’s article “What is Afrofuturism?,” IAI: Institute of Art and Ideas, https://iai.tv/articles/what-is-afrofuturism-auid-1177.
[14] Mark Dery, “Black to the Future,” from Flame Wars: The Discourse of CyberCulture (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1994).
[15] From the exhibition signage.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Murray’s mural is at The Root of the Hill, 1121 Broadway in Boulder, and Ray’s work is at the headquarters of the radio station KGNU, 1720 14th Street in Boulder.
[18] From the exhibition signage.
[19] "The History and Importance of the Black Church," Harvard Gazette, March 4, 2021, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/03/the-history-and-importance-of-the-black-church/. Unfortunately, there remain problematic aspects of some predominantly Black religious traditions, for instance, the AME’s stance on gay clergy and performing same-sex marriages. See "Stances of Faiths on LGBT Issues: African Methodist Episcopal Church," Human Rights Campaign, https://www.hrc.org/resources/stances-of-faiths-on-lgbt-issues-african-methodist-episcopal-church.
