When you think of Colorado’s history, slavery, lynching, and Ku Klux Klan marches through downtown Denver likely do not come to mind.
The team behind the Colorado Black Equity Study is working to unearth real-life accounts of these and other occurrences and their harmful impact on Black Coloradans. As required by state Senate Bill 24-053, which was passed into law in 2024 and signed by Governor Jared Polis, the community-funded study centers on evidence-based historical research into discriminatory practices, systems, and policies and is being conducted through History Colorado.
At the helm of the research is historian, curator, and artist Chloe Duplessis, Colorado Black History research program manager at History Colorado. From Denver to Pueblo and communities in between, Duplessis is leading a team of diverse, thoughtful researchers tasked with community engagement and collecting data and Coloradans personal stories about the harms caused by systemic racism in the areas of wealth, health, education, and justice. This team has been given two years to carry out this task.
In March 2027, the study’s findings including data and 100 personal narratives will be submitted to the Black Coloradans Racial Equity Study Commission, which will examine the information and go on to make policy recommendations that could benefit Coloradans in the future. The commission is made up of community advocates and state legislators committed to advancing equity for Black residents…