How one Denver-area community is reckoning with its racial past
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Clips from the Golden Transcript. Illustration: Courtesy of the Golden Transcript
The ongoing racial reckoning in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder is exposing uncomfortable realities in Denver's western suburbs.
Driving the news: In Jefferson County, hundreds of documents dating well into the 20th century explicitly included discriminatory racial covenants that shaped where people lived, Colorado Community Media reports.
- One 1945 record stated that "only persons of the Caucasian race shall use or occupy any building or any lot" in Cole Village, located in what is now Lakewood.
What they're saying: "That blew me away that this rural county at the time would have them," said Christopher Thiry, a librarian at Colorado School of Mines in Golden who combed through 1,000 records. "As I tell people, 'Yeah, the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama, sure. But Jefferson County? Come on.'"
Meanwhile, the Golden Transcript, a Colorado Community Media newspaper, published an extensive report taking responsibility for its troubling coverage of the Black community in the past and acknowledging it contributed to systemic racism.
- "This report is the product of its journalists attempting to examine the paper’s coverage of the Black community since the Civil Rights era and own up to its mistakes," the story states.
Why it matters: The new revelations collectively shed light on a history that still shapes the Denver metro today in terms of where people live and how they are reflected in their communities.
Of note: The Transcript's examination came as a part of a broader effort in Colorado to improve Black people's trust in mainstream media. Publisher Linda Shapley said confronting past discrimination was the top recommendation from community leaders.
- "We believe this story is important beyond Golden — and we hope to spark conversations in our communities across the Denver area about race and inclusion and how our news coverage impacts those issues," she wrote.