Denver Urban Spectrum - Domestic Violence - October 2023

The Krystal Ryan Story: Turning pain into Turning pain into purpose…4 pur pose…4

Homelessness:

The importance of mental The importance of mental health and home…8 health and home…8

CAAH: Healing a community with Healing a community with pearls of wellness…14 pear ls of wellness…14

Ansar El Muhammad: A final look through the A final look through the Lens of Lens of Ansar…28 Ansar…28

“

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29

Sensational… emotionally infectious… bursts with joy, desire and ferocious passion”

—Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post

With dazzling storytelling and iconic musical numbers, Dreamgirls is a musical about the allure of fame and how it transforms the relationships of stars with their friends, lovers, and families. A sweeping and inspirational journey with an unforgettable soundtrack filled with pop, R&B, gospel, disco, and more, the Lone Tree Arts Center’s triumphant return to producing theatrical events will bring audiences to their feet.

720.509.1000

lonetreeartscenter.org

Dreamgirls is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com

PRESENTED BY

PATRON SPONSOR: Linda Bjelland

MEDIA SPONSOR

PUBLISHER

Rosalind J. Harris

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Brittany N. Winkfield

GENERAL MANAGER

Lawrence A. James

MANAGING and COPY EDITOR

Ruby Jones

COLUMNIST

Barry Overton

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Christen Aldridge

Ruby Jones

Miah Ntepp

Wayne Trujillo

Brittany Winkfield

SPECIAL PROJECTS ASSISTANT

Tanya Ishikawa

ART DIRECTOR

Bee Harris

PHOTOGRAPER

Cecile Perrin

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Jody Gilbert - Kolor Graphix

SOCIAL MEDIA / DIGITAL MARKETING

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The Denver Urban Spectrum is a monthly publication dedicated to spreading the news about people of color. Contents of the Denver Urban Spectrum are copyright 2023 by Bizzy Bee Enterprise. No portion may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

The Denver Urban Spectrum circulates 25,000 copies throughout Colorado. The Denver Urban Spectrum welcomes all letters, but reserves the right to edit for space, libelous material, grammar, and length. All letters must include name, address, and phone number. We will withhold author’s name on request. Unsolicited articles are accepted without guarantee of publication or payment.

Write to the Denver Urban Spectrum at P.O. Box 31001, Aurora, CO 80041.

For advertising, subscriptions, or other information, call 303-292-6446 or fax 303292-6543 or visit the Web site at www.denverurbanspectrum.com.

Health, Healing & the Arts

October is all about awareness, with designations as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Depression Awareness Month, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to name a few. This month’s issue is presented as a resource-packed gift to the community, with articles that focus on health and healing.

Author Krystal Ryan shares her story of survival and discusses her efforts to spread awareness about partner abuse through her organization, Beyond Blessed.

Following the theme of domestic violence and exploring the healing nature of music, I interview actor Roderick Lawrence, who plays Ike Turner in TINA: The Tina Turner Musical. We discuss his notorious role in Tina Turner’s well-known story of overcoming abuse and his efforts to portray the Black male experience with Black Man Films. I also interview actors Sheryl McCallum and David Nehls, creators of Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown, as they give a moving musical presentation detailing the life of the first “Queen of R&B.”

Miah Ntepp highlights the Human Cost of Eviction with a story that reveals the impact of mental health on homelessness, and Christen Aldridge shares updates from an important community resource in her article about the Center for African American Health.

There are exciting arts-related events happening throughout the city, including JetSet Jamz, a concert series explained by Brittany Winkfield, and the Soul of Black Folks exhibit by Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo at the Denver Art Museum.

As the community begins the journey of healing from the loss of its beloved photographer, Brother Ansar El Muhammad, we dedicate this issue to his memory and take a look back at the impact his art made throughout the years.

With much more to explore in this month’s issue, I hope you are inspired to prioritize health, healing and happiness.

Be well!

Enshrining Women’s Right to Choose is Within Our Grasp

Editor:

By overturning Roe vs Wade, the Supreme Court overturned women’s right to keep control over our own bodies. We have already seen the true cruelty of this decision: a 10 year old rape victim refused an abortion, a woman whose fetus has no chance of survival forced to carry it because her doctor could face life in prison for reducing her suffering.

But we are not far from the possibility of having this tragedy reversed. Congress can pass a law enshrining a woman’s right to choose. In fact, the House has already passed it, in the form of The Women’s Health Protection Act.

This law could be passed by a simple majority if 50 senators voted to overturn the filibuster. Currently, two Democratic Senators, Joe Manchin and

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Kyrsten Sinema, have refused. But if Democrats are able to keep a majority in the House and gain 2 more seats in the Senate, the filibuster will be overturned and a woman’s fundamental right to control her own body will be made legal again.

In Colorado, Senator Michael Bennet has consistently supported women’s right to choose

Ruby Jones DUS Editor

while his opponent, Joe O’Dea, has pushed for restrictions. We need Democrats to win the House and expand the Senate. It’s time to get angry and reclaim our rights!

Get registered and vote November 8 for Senator Michael Bennet and Representative Diana DeGette!

Adele Riffe Hesperus, CO

Beyond Blessed Krystal Ryan Shares Her Story and Talks About Life After Abuse

By Ruby Jones

Love and relationships are idealized as happy partnerships between people who respect and care about each other; who make the conscious and constant decision to work together to achieve mutual goals; and who aspire to live happily ever after – like the fairytales say. Yet, like most things in life, relationships are accompanied by challenges that test the strength, commitment, and character of those involved.

Love, the emotion and feeling that brings people together, is not always simple.

Relationships don’t always work out, with a multitude of causes that could be as straightforward as a misalignment of values, or more complex situations that include toxicity and harm. For Krystal Ryan, founder of the Beyond Blessed organization for survivors of domestic violence, an unhealthy, failing relationship nearly took her life.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Domestic violence is a term that describes violence committed when there is a close relationship between a perpetrator and a victim. While domestic violence does not always include a romantic relationship, partner violence affects more than 10 million people per year.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), domestic

violence is defined as “willful intimi dation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate part ner against another.”

NCADV is an organiza tion that promotes legislation and policies that pro tect survivors of domestic vio lence. It operates an educational program that teaches communi cation and selfawareness skills in support of healthy relationships and advocates for the disarmament of abusers with the Disarm Domestic Violence initiative.

The statistics from NCADV regarding domestic violence are staggering. The estimated 10 million people who are physically abused each year equates to approximately 20 people per minute. The rate of abuse is heavily disproportionate by

gender, with 1-in-4 women and 1-in-9 men experiencing severe physical violence, stalking, and sexual abuse. As a result of reported physical abuse, 1in-7 women and 1-in-25 men have injured by an intimate partColorado, domestic vioare recorded by the office of the Colorado Attorney General, which indicated in its review in 2021 that 91 people died in domestic violencenumber, up 2020, represents a disturbing upward trend and epidemic that affects people in every community with a greater impact on communities of color.

In 2018, the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (CCJRC) reported that people of color are “substantially underrepresented” when it comes to the funding allo-

cated to helping victims of violent crime. This disparity starts from the top down, with a majority of members of the board of directors for organizations serving victims of domestic violence identifying as white. Federal survey data from 2010 to 2015 revealed that in comparison to the demographic that identifies as white, Indigenous Americans are 2.4 –Blacks are 1.8 – and Hispanic Americans are 1.4 times more likely to experience serious domestic violence.

In 1989, the U.S. Congress designated the month of October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

A Story of Survival

Ryan, author of “Through It All: Her Story,” hosts the “Through It All” podcast to detail the abuse she suffered at the hands of her partner, and how it changed her life. She went on to co-author the Unstoppable Black Woman and Unshakeable Faith anthologies, empowering women and sharing her story to motivate others to leave abusive partnerships.

The abuse Ryan endured affected her home, her children and her relationship with her friends and family. It could have easily led to her untimely demise if she had not found the courage to finally leave.

One of the most troubling statistics about domestic violence involves the difficulty of leaving. The misconception that leaving is easy leads to many unfair judgments and assumptions about why people stay.

Photos by Miss C Hope ROYAL MEDIA PRODUCTIONS

Some believe that failure to immediately leave means that the abuse is not really happening, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

On average it takes more than seven attempts to finally leave an abusive relationship for good, with some people reporting up to 30 attempts before walking away for the last time.

“Why Don’t You Just Leave?”

One of the most pervasive forms of partner abuse involves the very thing that keeps people chained to their abusers: Money.

The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) recognizes financial abuse as one of the most powerful methods of keeping a survivor stuck by diminishing their ability to care for themselves independently, leave safely, or stay safe after escape. The organization estimates that financial abuse occurs in 99% of abusive relationships.

When someone is financially restricted, they may believe that they do not have the option to leave. When it comes to a lack of funds, the potential possibilities can be terrifying because so much is tied to financial stability. Many people are unable to get past the idea of losing everything and having to start over, so they stay long after they should have left.

“It took me over 20 times,” says Ryan, recalling the final straw that forced her to finally walk away for good. “I didn’t want to be the typical statistic single mother with children, unable to do it by myself. So the final straw was a kick to the face.”

After being kicked in her face by her abusive husband, Ryan turned to her pastor, who encouraged her to stay in the relationship and undergo counseling. Many abusers are unwilling to attend counseling sessions with the traditional belief that “Whatever happens in the house stays in the

house.” While waiting for counseling to help, abuse could instantly escalate to life-threatening extremes.

“I realized that he was either going to kill me, or I was going to kill him, and my children wouldn’t have anyone. So I had to make the tough decision to leave,” Ryan admits.

Without a plan in place, she researched a place where her abuser wouldn’t find her and made the difficult decision to

call Safe House Denver. Having called twice before, she gathered her strength and important documents and told her husband that she was bringing their two children, ages 10 and 13, to get ice cream.

With only enough money for three one-way bus tickets and food for her children, Ryan boarded a bus to Denver, Colorado. “It’ll be 15 years on October 22nd that I escaped,” she says.

By the time she arrived in Denver, she had 32 cents in her pocket. She had no choice but to go to a homeless shelter with her children, and the harsh reality of her environment nearly drove her back home.

“I asked my counselor, ‘Can you please help me get back home because I’d rather be beaten than stay here,” Ryan remembers. “I woke up and we’re in a shelter and it’s like

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Krystal Ryan

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oh my gosh! I’ve never been in this situation. I sat down, and I was holding (my daughter). I was like ‘Are you okay?’ and she goes ‘Yeah, I’m just afraid that you’re gonna go back.”

Having to live in a homeless shelter is one of the fears that keeps people from leaving. Not having money for food, transportation, personal hygiene items, and the luxuries they’ve grown accustomed to can present paralyzing uncertainty; the answers are not always clear and they don’t all come at once. However, there are hundreds of crisis centers and service organizations around the country that are dedicated to making the transition out of abuse less frightening.

Living in a homeless shelter is never anyone’s first preference, but housing resource providers work hand-in-hand with shelters to fast-track permanent housing solutions for victims of

abuse. Additionally, resources for food, legal services, childcare, healthcare, transportation, clothing, and personal needs are readily available to shelter guests. Getting over the fear of losing everything is difficult, but after taking the first step and remaining committed to success, things fall into place. The key is to never give up!

Within 2 weeks, Ryan secured a job and a place in a transitional housing program.

“There were just so many things that I didn’t even know were out there. You just have to do your research, and go in with an open mind and be receptive to take what they’re offering,” Ryan says, encouraging survivors to utilize the resources offered by service agencies.

What Is Abuse?

Physical abuse and financial abuse are the most prevalent forms of domestic violence, but there are several more tactics used by abusers that make a relationship unhealthy.

Emotional or mental abuse includes non-physical psychological and verbal violence meant to weaken, control and intimidate victims of domestic violence. Abusers may engage in various forms of emotional abuse, such as being excessively jealous or possessive, constantly criticizing and devaluing, having intense and unpredictable outbursts of anger, and gas lighting with lies and manipulation. Verbal abuse also involves insults, blame, humiliation, stonewalling, and threats.

Sexual abuse occurs within a relationship when a partner is manipulated or coerced into engaging in sexual activity against their wishes. Due to the nature of intimate relationships, a victim of sexual abuse may be made to believe that sex is expected and should not be withheld. However, if someone does not want to have sex and their partner threatens them, makes them feel guilty, or has affairs when the sexual activity they feel entitled to is withheld, they are engaging in intimate partner sexual violence.

Reproductive abuse is related to sexual abuse and involves acts of violence against a partner’s reproductive health and decisions. If a partner withholds or tampers with contraception with the intention of getting pregnant, impregnating, or exposing their partner to sexually transmitted infections, they are engaging in reproductive abuse. Lying or manipulating someone to control their reproductive choices and outcomes is also abuse.

Finally, litigation or legal abuse occurs when an abuser uses the legal system as a method of control. After leaving an abusive relationship, abusers may turn to the court system as a last-ditch effort to cause harm to their victims. They may file excessive petitions and prolong court processes in an effort to weaponize a system that is meant to be protective.

Litigation abuse is especially harmful in situations involving

children. Abusers may file for custody or demand unsuitable parenting plans that do not serve the best interests of the children involved to victimize and terrorize the other parent.

One of the most common tactics abusers use to maintain control of their partner is isolation. By removing the partner from their support system, there are fewer influences around to threaten their control. Isolation might be subtle, involve force, or result from causing visible bruises and scars to shame the victim away from friends and family.

After leaving a relationship that involves domestic violence, abusers often turn to harassment and stalking to interrupt a survivor’s work and personal activities. While there are legal methods to stop these behaviors, many abusers go to great lengths to avoid being caught.

Taking The First Step

One of the first steps to leaving an abusive relationship is to reach out to an organization that helps with safe escape. The risks associated with leaving an abusive relationship increase with the amount of attempts made, so it is important to contact local organizations or the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) as soon as possible.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When calling, expert advocates provide free and confidential intervention services and connect callers to local agencies for immediate assistance. After being connected with a local organization, service providers will help with transportation and an escape plan.

Escaping abuse may mean leaving everything behind with only clothes and very personal items. To plan for a safe escape, it is important to try to save money if possible and gather important documents such as birth certificates and social secu-

rity cards that will be used to establish further resources and maintain a high level of secrecy. Sharing plans with friends and family (or even children) could be detrimental before safety measures are in place.

After leaving her abusive husband, Ryan did not pursue child support or file for divorce until her children were 18 years old because she knew it would subject her to the potential for continued abuse. “I basically fell off the face of the earth,” she says. “I did not use social media, and I went into the address protection program.”

The Address Confidentiality Program is a statewide program that serves as a mail-forwarding resource for victims of abuse. However, the program does not protect against litigation abuse as participants can still be legally served through the program.

After leaving an abusive relationship, there are many organizations that can help survivors regain financial stability past the resources offered by many nonprofit organizations. The NNEDV website (NNEDV.org) contains resources to help recognize financial abuse and counter its effects. FreeFrom (FreeFrom.org) is an organization that works to dismantle the nexus between intimate partner abuse and financial insecurity.

It may take time to recreate life after abuse, but the most important part of survival is taking the first step and getting away.

The Aftermath

The effects of abuse can be complicated and multilayered. In addition to recovering from the financial impact of leaving, survival itself can have a significant impact on mental health. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation are commonly experienced by survivors of abuse.

In a Journal of Family Violence report on the psycho-

logical effects of domestic violence, Alytia A. Levendosky

and Sandra A. GrahamBermann discovered a PTSD diagnosis rate in 45 to 85% of women who have experienced abuse. The report, titled “Parenting in Battered Women: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Women and Their Children,” also discusses the potential lasting effects of abuse on children in violent households.

“My children suffered silently. They were never physically abused, but emotionally and even spiritually my children were scarred,” says Ryan.

Her daughter, who was subjected to her father’s verbal attacks and insults, suffered from body dysmorphia for years after hearing her mother being called fat. “Children are sponges. They learn what they absorb,” she reveals, saying that she worked to alleviate the effects of her children’s exposure with family counseling that ultimately strengthened their bond.

“We were able to sit down and talk. So yes, it was a journey, and they masked it very well. I knew they were angry, but I didn’t know why.”

Future relationships that survivors encounter may be affected without attention to emotional healing and psychological repair. Attachment styles can be negatively impacted by abuse, causing issues with trust, honesty, financial security, and parenting. Yet, with counseling and education regarding healthy communication and relationships, recurring abuse can be avoided.

How Can You Help?

Survivors of abuse are often isolated from friends and family, damaging or even severing relationships at a time when support is crucial. Repairing connections with friends and family is important, and requires work on both sides.

Supporting someone who has survived domestic violence can be challenging for those who do not understand what has happened or how to help. As a support person, it is important to listen without judgment and simply be there for loved ones who are struggling.

There are times when survivors return to abusive relationships, which is especially challenging for support people who feel their efforts were in vain. By understanding the pattern of abuse and remaining willing to help when necessary, supporters can potentially save lives.

Ryan rebuilt her life with friends she made while living in the shelter, and she continues to be a support person for women leaving abusive relationships with her Sisterhood of Survivors Support Group. Operated in conjunction with Denver’s Rose Andom Center, she hosts gatherings and events for survivors and people currently experiencing domestic violence.

“It’s real women coming together, that feel like ‘Hey, I just need someone who can understand, someone who can identify with me, and someone that I can pull a little bit of information from,’” she says.

Many people, like Ryan, experience abuse during childhood and go on to encounter domestic violence later in life because they are searching for love and trying to fill voids that only self-love can fill.

No matter how beautiful love seems in the fairytales, true love doesn’t hurt and not every relationship will end in a happily ever after. It is important to know the signs and recognize when it’s time to walk away.

Despite the uncertainty that comes with leaving an abusive relationship, Ryan’s goal is to remind survivors that they are not alone. Last year, she started

the “Walk A Mile in My Shoes,” walk to raise attention and awareness, and this year she will be hosting the inaugural “Krystal’s Hope Ride” motorcycle ride on Saturday, October 7th to celebrate her survival and speak out against abuse.

“Pay attention to the red flags. If, in your heart and mind, you feel that this just doesn’t seem right, it could be abuse. It usually is,” Ryan warns. “My purpose is to let the next woman know that you’re not alone.”.

Editor’s Note: If you are experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. To learn more about Krystal Ryan and Beyond Blessed, visit www.beyondblessed.org. Watch and listen to Ruby Jones’ full interview with Krystal at www.denverurbanspectrum.com/podcast.

The Human Cost Of Eviction

Establishing Housing, Health and Hope Through Policy

By Miah Ntepp

The underbelly of America’s housing crisis has been exposed, and the intersectional crisis has revealed ways in which mental health support systems have failed the most vulnerable populations. Gaps in implementation service procedures have failed to provide adequate safeguards for the unhoused, and the climate crisis has exacerbated the issue with record-breaking heat adding to dangerous public health concerns.

Shame should befall any society that upholds systems benefiting only a few at the cost of the majority.

In 2022, Colorado reported the sixth-highest voter turnout in the nation, passing measures that provided much-needed funding for sustainable and affordable housing and outreach programs.This speaks to the character of Colorado’s voters, who are awaiting efforts that are adequately matched. Many are examining the visibly worsening issue of homelessness despite promises of change and asking, “How much hypocrisy can people possibly endure?”

With data showing increases in the rate of individuals suffering

from poor mental health, there are growing concerns about the human cost of eviction amid a worsening economic landscape.

Mental health deficiencies can interrupt an individual’s entire life, often leading to poverty and disaffiliation.With the rising cost of living, it is imperative that protective measures are enacted to prevent further disenfranchisement among populations who are experiencing significant psychological impairment.

Employment is one of the major components involved in homelessness prevention. However, according to a 2021 study published by the University of Chicago, many unhoused individuals manage to maintain jobs. The study, which observed homeless individuals between 2011 and 2018, showed that as much as 53% of people in homeless shelters and 40% of unsheltered people held full or part-time jobs. When mental health is factored into the equation, questions arise regarding the potential for long-term employment and self-sufficiency.

Mental health issues may prompt sudden, unexpected with-

drawals from work, resources and other support systems. Prolonged mental illness issues can result in the creation of barriers that negatively impact an individual’s ability to be resilient and make decisions that support their well-being. Left untreated, mental illness can lead to a downward spiral which may ultimately lead to homelessness.

The cycle between homelessness and mental health is insidious. Being unhoused can contribute to a rapid decrease in already poor mental health conditions. With mental illness amplified, so are the risks of anxiety, substance abuse, violence and depression.

When it comes to the cost of homelessness, taxpayers save money when proper mental healthcare is accessible to the population that needs it most.

When financial catastrophe or mental illness results in the loss of one’s home, even small expenses create significant barriers to mental healthcare, resources and essential items. With limited access to state and federal programs such as Medicaid and insurance plans offered by the Affordable Care Act, the link between psychological setbacks and homelessness reflects a systematically tangled relationship. The devastating effects are perpetuated over time, with childhood homelessness contributing to increased rates of poverty, social trauma, and other avoidable issues.

The true cost of homelessness is human life. Eviction, and subsequent homelessness, are correlated with higher rates of mortality. Pre-existing conditions including

chronic disease, respiratory illness, cancer, substance abuse and mental illness are intensified by worries concerning basic survival. The worst possible outcome of housing instability paired with poor physical and mental health is self-inflicted loss of life.

According to the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute for Mental Health, 46,000 lives were lost to suicide in 2020 alone. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has found that 46% of people who died by suicide were living with a known mental health condition.

In 2021, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 31.6% of adults are reportedly living with depression and anxiety.With a World Health Organization announcement indicating a 13% rise in mental health conditions and substance abuse disorders in the last decade, a mental health epidemic is a clear and unavoidable issue.

During the Covid pandemic, “Stay at Home,” mandates highlighted apathetic attitudes among lawmakers, with city, state and federal agencies ignoring the needs of people without a home to stay in. The National Homelessness Law Center platform spoke out against the egregious oversight saying, “It was immediately and abundantly clear that in attempting to manage the pandemic, the federal government and its state and local counterparts omitted entirely any consideration of individuals experiencing homelessness. That omission has resulted in homeless individ-

uals being more likely to be infected by Covid-19, more likely to be hospitalized when they contract Covid-19, more likely to require critical care once hospitalized and more likely to die from Covid-19.”

An article published by The Denver Gazette produced data from the pandemic’s decline, showing an increase in homelessness. “There were at least 4,794 homeless people in Denver in January 2022, according to the most recent count. That’s up 44% from only five years prior.”

The threat of homelessness and mental health problems to the overall state of society reached a peak before the 2020 pandemicrelated shutdowns, revealing an immediate need for solutions.

Addressing homelessness in the United States requires the examination of multiple systemic inequities. Housing for individuals has been commodified with tax credits that benefit developers. Meanwhile, the people most in need of financial bailouts face years-long waitlists for affordable housing and inadequate healthcare.

Despite the efforts of grassroots organizations and advocacy programs, fiduciary interests and obligations to stakeholders seem to have been prioritized before human life.

The city of Denver has poured significant resources into addressing issues around homelessness, spending almost a quarter of a billion dollars in 2023. In March, the city council approved several contracts and resolutions worth $17.8 million, and former Mayor Michael Hancock’s final adopted budget contained $254 million to deal with homelessness citywide.

New Mayor Mike Johnston made homelessness prevention a large part of his platform. The former senator built a plan that addresses “Lack of access to affordable housing, lack of mental health support, and the increase in addictive drugs.” Still, understanding homelessness and providing solutions for the unhoused is a complex process that requires sys-

temic analysis, identification and the repair of multiple gaps.

In 2022, The Colorado General Assembly formed the Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force (AHTTF) to offer recommendations for spending $400 million allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). These funds are designated to improving access to affordable housing across the state. In the 2023 legislative session, Colorado passed Senate Bill-082 providing housing

vouchers and services to homeless youth 18-26 with prior foster care experience.

Colorado lawmakers are monitoring other states’ responses to homelessness, including South Carolina, Utah, and Connecticut’s mitigation of homelessness among individuals aging out of foster care. These states have implemented plans to increase accessibility to mental health care and social services for people transitioning out of foster care.

America is facing a crisis of epic proportions and must prioritize “Housing First” models to alleviate the devastating impact of recent events and economic inequity on mental health and homelessness. With an emphasis on culturally competent, community-based services that ensure financial independence and mental wellness, there is hope that one day everyone will have access to mental health and a home. .

Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks to open at Denver Art Museum this fall, the first solo museum tour for celebrated Ghanaian artist

Traveling exhibition features more than 30 works depicting Black portrait subjects, centering Black life and joy

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) presents Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks, the debut museum solo exhibition tour for Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo (b. 1984). This traveling exhibition, organized by Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, opened Oct. 8, and is on view in Denver through Feb. 19, 2024, in the Gallagher Family Gallery on level 1 of the museum’s Hamilton Building.

One of the most acclaimed artists of his generation, Boafo’s works focus the viewers’ gaze on his subjects’ presence through his portraits representing Black life. More than 30 works created between 2016 and 2022 are featured in Amoako Boafo, displaying

Green Clutch

Ghana must go

Boafo’s vibrant use of color and thick gestures shaped by improvisational techniques such as finger-painting. His works actively center Black subjectivity, Black joy and the Black gaze as the foundation of his inspiration and artistic practice. This presentation is a continuation of the Denver Art

Museum’s ongoing commitment to highlighting the work of Black contemporary artists, including solo exhibitions featuring artists El Anatsui, Mark Bradford, Jordan Casteel, Nick Cave, Senga Nengudi and Simphiwe Ndzube, among others.

“The museum looks forward to presenting Amoako Boafo, continuing its initiative to showcase the work of contemporary Black artists and center Black perspectives,” said Christoph Heinrich, the Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the DAM. “Boafo’s work is powerful and vulnerable and encourages viewers to reflect on how our viewpoints influence the way we see the people around us.”

Born in 1984 in Ghana, the artist studied at the Ghanatta College of Art and Design in Accra, as well as the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, Austria. Boafo was awarded the 2017 Walter Koschatzky Art Prize as well as the 2019 STRABAG Art Award. His work resides in private and public collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Hessel Museum of Art and the Pizzuti Collection of the Columbus Museum of Art, among others.

The exhibition’s title was inspired by civil rights activist, sociologist and Pan- Africanist W.E.B. Du Bois and his study, The Souls of Black Folk, published in 1903. Boafo grew up near the burial site of Du Bois in Accra, Ghana, and was affected by his research, especially his coining of the phrase “double consciousness,” meaning the experience of Black people simultaneously having to look at themselves through their own and through white people’s points of view. Boafo’s artworks serve as an invitation to think about and challenge the “othered” perspective concerning Black people and the Black figure.

“Amoako Boafo’s is one of the foremost contemporary voices contributing to and influencing art that celebrates artists from the African diaspora,” said Rory Padeken, Vicki and Kent Logan Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art for the DAM. “Our show highlights the artist’s unique approach to portraiture and encourages the viewer to connect intimately with his subjects. I look forward to sharing his work with our communities.”.

Editor’s note: For museum information, visit www.denverartmuseum.org or call 720-865-5000.

Pink Astilbe

By Lynn Nottage

Pinkowitz & Susan Fox Pinkowitz

Meet the 30 Colorado Community Newsrooms Poised to Collaboratively Raise $1 Million for Local News This Holiday Season

By the end of this year, 30 Colorado newsrooms aim to collectively raise at least a million dollars to strengthen and sustain their coverage of local governments, businesses, schools and communities — and they need your help.

Colorado Media Project (CMP) and the Colorado News Collaborative (COLab) are pleased to announce the 2023 cohort of local newsrooms participating in the sixth annual #newsCOneeds year-end matching challenge. Between Tuesday, Nov. 28 (a.k.a. “Giving NewsDay”) and Dec. 31, 2023, each newsroom below can earn up to $5,000 from CMP, in a dollar-for-dollar match aimed at inspiring individual giving to support longterm sustainability of their public-service journalism — which informs and engages communities and strengthens civic engagement statewide.

Between now and November, these newsrooms are participating in the #newsCOneeds Philanthropy Lab - a new addition to the program this year. This series of eleven workshop session, led by national experts from the Local Media Association and Make Philanthropy Work, and hosted by COLab, helps newsrooms hone their fundraising plans, strengthen their connections to their audiences, and engage Coloradans across the state in supporting a healthy local news ecosystem.

2023 is the sixth consecutive year that CMP is offering the matching grant challenge, which is modeled after the national NewsMatch campaign. Over the last five years, Colorado newsrooms participating in the #newsCOneeds Campaign have collectively lev-

eraged $500,000 in grants from CMP to raise more than $2.3 million dollars in small contributions from thousands of individual audience members and supporters.

Colorado’s #newsCOneeds matching challenge is unique in the nation, in that any locally owned, locally operated Colorado news organization that is regularly publishing nonpartisan local news may apply — regardless of business model or distribution method. While newsrooms are encouraged to direct their readers or listeners to their own contribution pages, a campaign landing page (thisisnewsconeeds.com) provides a unifying message and a single-point for campaign contributions, which are split equally among the participating newsrooms.

Want to shout out your favorite story or newsroom? Newsrooms, advocates and members of the public are encouraged to use a common hashtag (#newsCOneeds) to spotlight some of the amazing journalism produced by local newsrooms in 2023, and to encourage others to give generously.

Meet The 2023

#newsCOneeds Cohort:

Alamosa Citizen is a member-supported, nonpartisan daily online newspaper that works to provide information and build civic involvement in the San Luis Valley.

Ark Valley Voice is a completely online nonprofit news source for Chaffee County and the Upper Arkansas Valley in Central Colorado, with a mission to be a voice in pursuit of truth in the Upper Arkansas

Valley by providing objective, factual journalism that supports an informed community, civil discourse and government accountability while reflecting the values of the community.

Aspen Journalism is a nonprofit, online local news organization with statewide coverage on water and the environment. Aspen Journalism produces investigative and in-depth journalism for those with a stake in Aspen, the Roaring Fork River watershed, the Western Slope, the state of Colorado, and the upper Colorado River basin.

Boulder Reporting Lab is a nonprofit digital newsroom that provides the people who live, work, learn and play in and around Boulder, Colorado, with high-quality, trustworthy, localfirst reporting and essential information to make sense of issues and events happening around them, navigate their lives and build community

Bucket List Community Cafe is a community inspired and community supported journalism site on Facebook, social media and the web that provides information, inspiration and interaction to North Denver.

Chalkbeat Colorado is a nonprofit, digital newsroom covering education in Denver and statewide, as part of a nationwide network of missionaligned newsrooms committed to covering one of America’s most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education.

Colorado Chinese News is a free weekly newspaper serving Chinese, Asian and other major communities in the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond.

Colorado Community Media is a network of 23 community newspapers and online publications collectively serving more than 330,000 residents in cities and towns throughout Colorado’s Front Range with clear, accurate coverage of the issues that matter to residents.

Colorado Newsline is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent source of online news, providing fair and accurate reporting on politics, policy and other stories of interest to Colorado readers since 2020.

The Colorado Springs Indy is a free publication that has served Southern Colorado for over 30 years, covering the full range of news – arts and culture, policy and government, education and health care.

The Colorado Sun is an online news outlet providing long-form, in-depth coverage of news from across Colorado.

The Crestone Eagle is a nonprofit newsroom whose mission is to produce trustworthy local news in rural Saguache County, to promote community engagement, enhance economic development and connect residents throughout the San Luis Valley.

The Denver North Star and the G.E.S. Gazette are co-owned community newspapers with an online presence serving Northwest Denver, Globeville, Elyria, Swansea, and the RiNo Art District.

Denver Westword, the independent voice of news and culture in Denver since 1977, publishes a 24/7 website, westword.com, and also distributes a weekly paper — both free, now and forever.

Denver Urban Spectrum is a monthly publication that has served the Denver metro area since 1987, spreading the news about people of color, and covering stories not normally addressed in the mainstream media.

Fresh Water News is a nonpartisan news service demystifying Colorado water issues, affiliated with the nonprofit Water Education Colorado.

KDNK Radio is a community radio station and NPR affiliate serving Carbondale and the Roaring Fork Valley.

KGNU Community Radio is an independent, noncommercial community station serving Boulder County and Denver.

KLZR Radio/Valley News

Daily is a nonprofit community newsletter and radio station committed to reliable, informative, timely and entertaining programs for everyone living in the Wet Mountain Valley.

KOTO Radio is a community supported public broadcasting organization serving Telluride and Southwest Colorado.

KSJD Radio is a community radio station and NPR affiliate providing local news in southwest Colorado and the Four Corners region.

KSUT Public Radio is a community radio station and NPR affiliate serving Southwest Colorado, including the Ute tribal communities.

La Voz Colorado is a weekly digital and print newspaper serving the Colorado Latino market in both English and Spanish.

KVNF Community Radio has been serving the western slope of Colorado since 1979

with news programs from National Public Radio, local news, alternative news sources, and public affairs, and an eclectic mix of musical genres with an emphasis on independent recording artists.

Pikes Peak Bulletin is a weekly print and digital paper serving Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City and Ute Pass.

Ouray County Plaindealer is a familyowned weekly newspaper serving communities in the San Juan Mountains since 1877. It is the only newspaper in Ouray County, and believes that “even small places deserve quality journalism.

Pueblo Star Journal is a nonprofit print and digital newspaper serving the Pueblo community by “digging deeper”, pushing past the superficial and providing our readers with the most accurate, thought-provoking and comprehensive news in the Steel City.

The Sopris Sun/El Sol del Valle is the Roaring Fork Valley’s community-supported, nonprofit weekly newspaper. Multilingual in English and Spanish, the newsroom seeks to inform, inspire and build community. We also aim to incubate the craft of journalism for future generations through our high school journalism program.

Yellow Scene Magazine is the largest printed monthly publication in the Boulder and North Metro regions, providing engaging, journalistically sound, and always creative coverage of local and regional news, politics, arts, culture, entertainment, cuisine, and whatever else we think is relevant to the Community..

Editor’s note: To learn more about the campaign or how to donate to the 30 newsrooms participating in the 2023 #newsCOneeds matching challenge, visit the campaign landing page: www.thisisnewsconeeds.com

The Center for African American Health

New podcast and programs improve outcomes for the community

By Christen Aldridge

The Center for African American Health (CAAH) is a one-shop stop for all things

health in Denver’s Black community. Offering mammograms, prostate cancer screenings, mental health programs, family support resources and more, CAAH has been the backbone of Black Denver’s health since 2005.

CAAH was born out of early health programs led by the Metro Denver Black Church Initiative (MDBCI). In 2005,

MDBCI turned its focus to health disparities affecting the Black community and officially changed its name to the Center for African American Health. The center was initially housed within the Clayton College campus at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Colorado Boulevards. However, in early 2020, CAAH moved into its own Park Hill location on 33rd Avenue and Hudson Street.

Deidre

Johnson, CAAH CEO and Executive Director,

discusses the new and existing resources and services the center has to offer after the pre-pandemic expansion. With a new building and space to implement ideas, and a bigger vision for community wellness, the organization is working to better serve the people’s needs.

“We are envisioning a teaching kitchen and a medical consultant spot,” Johnson says, highlighting plans to emphasize the impact of proper nutrition on physical health going forward.

Along with these new programming additions, CAAH remains dedicated to providing comprehensive care for Denver residents. Health screenings for men, women and children are still in full force, with Covid-19 screenings, diabetes support, mental health services and care for senior citizens adding to the full spectrum of services.

CAAH also offers support for socio-emotional wellness, including Emotional Emancipation Circles and a range of other programs that focus on emotional healing and empowerment for Black people. Partnerships are Everything

To create a healthy and thriving community, all hands must be on deck. Partnerships have increased CAAH’s capacity to provide resources needed by all members of the community.

Far too often, the subject of mental health is swept under the rug. Historically, the stigma associated with mental healthcare and limited accessibility has prevented the Black community from utilizing muchneeded mental health resources. Accounting for 13.4% of the U.S. population, 16% of Black Americans were diagnosed or living with a significant mental

illness in 2022 according to Mental Health America.

“Mental health is a stigma in the Black community. This stigma holds us back from seeking help.” Johnson says.

To increase awareness of the importance of mental healthcare and emotional wellness, CAAH has partnered with the Therapist of Color Collaborative, an organization that matches community members with therapists of color. In addition to increasing accessibility, this partnership provides training for mental healthcare providers, thus expanding representation and reducing the stigma associated with care.

In April 2023, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released a report concerning Black maternal health and the disproportionate mortality rate. CDC data revealed that Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancyrelated complications than white women. The complications leading to otherwise preventable deaths were attributed to racial disparities in access to quality healthcare, implicit bias, and underlying chronic conditions that commonly go ignored by healthcare professionals while providing care and treatment for Black women.

To improve outcomes for Black mothers, CAAH participates in a referral program with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Pregnant patients are referred to the hospital’s Mama Circle program, a peer-to-peer support group where Black mothers connect, learn and increase well-being through shared experiences.

Johnson hopes to develop a maternal health program at CAAH within the next year in order to alleviate the Black maternal health crisis. She plans to incorporate postpartum care to provide assistance to Black women who are suffering from the emotional toll of childbirth.

CAAH partners with community and national partners who are invested in youth development. The organization’s partnership with the NBA Foundation supports its14 Youth Workforce Assistance program, and provides job readiness services for young people ages 14-24. With training and assistance in the procurement of a part-time or summer job, this program equips young people with knowledge that helps them navigate the workforce and prepares them for future self-sufficiency.

Pearl of Wellness Podcast

“Pearl of Wellness” is a brand-new podcast developed by CAAH to expand its efforts and impact within Denver’s community. By utilizing this new platform, the organization’s work can be shared with communities outside of Denver, in addition to reaching a new generation that references podcasts as educational tools.

The podcast, co-produced by Johnson and Shayla Hudson Riggle, recently finished its first season, and Johnson is excited for the next round of episodes. “We talk about various topics pertaining to the health and wellness of Black people,” she says.

Riggle, a media veteran with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, helped develop the show’s content. “Pearl of Wellness” dives into a range of topics, including the school-to-prison pipeline, generating health and wealth, maternal mental and physical health and expanding education. Its guest list includes: Denver NAACP

President Sondra Young; entrepreneur and business expert Jice Joyce; and Dr. Rosemarie Allen professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver and Institute for Racial Equity & Excellence President and CEO.

In its next season, Johnson desires to focus more on Black mental health and how to miti-

gate social stressors. She aspires to highlight additional mental health resources and explore, “How we can find a true cure for ourselves.”

Creating Change

Alan Harmon facilitates CAAH’s Barbershop Talks and 24/7 Dad. He hopes these two programs will help break negative stereotypes surrounding Black men and Black fatherhood.

Barbershop Talks began as a partnership with Demetrius Jenkins at the Family Focus Resource Center. Modeled after therapeutic support groups, the program was created to eliminate negative stigmas concerning mental and physical healthcare for Black men.

“The barbershop has been a pillar for the Black man. We use the barbershop as a place to vent and take things off our chest.” Harmon says. “We have authentic conversations as Black men on what we go through in life and how we were raised.

The program, which hosts a group of 8 to 10 men each Tuesday evening, is a safe space to talk about health, family, life and community. One of the main topics of conversation is mental health. In an effort to combat high suicide rates among Black men, Barbershop Talks invites therapists from the Therapist of Color Collaborative to facilitate meetings and offer one-on-one counseling services.

“We are having positive conversations on what it means to be a man. If we are unhealthy or not taking care of ourselves, we can’t take care of our community.” Harmon states.

Strengthening Families, an eight-week program to help parents of toddlers and young children ages 1 to 5, is also facilitated by Harmon in sup-

port of CAAH’s commitment to family support and success. The program features workshops that address parenting skills, improving children’s behavior, social skill development, and enhanced family functionality.

Recognizing a need for male representation and support, Harmon created the 24/7 Dad program. “I wanted to create a space for Black fathers to express what it means to be a father and raise a family,” he recalls.

24/7 Dads is a 12-week program where Black men discuss fatherhood. By holding each other and themselves accountable for their contributions to the family structure and community at large, they learn to fulfill their roles in healthy, meaningful ways.

“We discuss how the way we were raised affects now us as men, and talk about how to communicate with our kids and the mother of our kids,” Harmon boasts. He enjoys witnessing the growth of the men in the program, and feels good about the positive impact it has had on the families he’s worked with. “I have witnessed men regain visitation and parental rights after completing this program. It brings joy seeing families reunited,” he says.

CAAH is a valuable community resource. The organization’s commitment to addressing health disparities and changing outcomes for Denver’s Black community is making positive and measurable change.

For too long, medical racism has harmed Black people. CAAH is a safe space where community members feel seen and heard, and Johnson is confident that its programs will ensure wellness and transformative change well into the future. She guarantees, “As long as medical racism exists, we will still be here.”.

Editor's Note: To learn more about CAAH, visit http://caahealth.org.

Navigating the Current Real Estate Market

To Buy or Not to Buy?

By Barry Overton

In the ever-evolving world of real estate, interest rates often dominate headlines, influence buyer sentiment, and become pivotal points in market analyses. The rhythm of the real estate market seems tied to the ebb and flow of these rates, and yet, should they be the primary factor that determines when you buy a home? The simple answer is no, but let’s delve deeper.

While there are factors that we may take into account as to when is the right time to purchase, it’s important to be knowledgeable of how to take advantage of a market that causes others concern. In 22 years of real estate, one thing has held true. And that is, no matter what the state of the market is someone is always buying, and someone is always selling. The genius lies in

knowing the right time for you to one or the other, or perhaps both. Here are a few pros and cons to evaluating the right time to purchase.

The Pitfalls of HighInterest Rates

1. Higher Monthly Payments: With increased interest rates, the amount you pay monthly towards your mortgage can significantly rise. This can strain budgets and leave less room for other expenses.

2. Reduced Buying Power: Higher rates mean the amount you are approved for might be lower than in a low-interest-rate

environment. This might confine you to looking at homes in a lower price range than you initially intended.

3. Potential for Negative Equity: If you buy a home in a high-interest-rate market and rates later decrease, the value of homes may decline. This can result in owing more on your mortgage than the current value of your home.

The Silver Lining: Positive Points of HighInterest Rates

1. Motivated Sellers: Sellers understand that high-interest rates can deter buyers. This could make them more willing to negotiate on prices, offer concessions, or be flexible on terms.

2. Stable Market Predictions: High rates often slow down market frenzy. This can lead to more predictable, stable prices without the wild fluctuations seen in hotter markets.

3. Equity Growth: With a fixed-rate mortgage in a high-

interest environment, as you pay down your mortgage, you build equity faster than in periods of escalating home prices.

When Is the Right Time to Buy?

The best time to buy is often less about the market and more about individual circumstances. The 2020 market saw many first-time homebuyers becoming disheartened due to rising prices. Many decided to wait, hoping for a future decline. While prices have indeed started to dip, the rise in interest rates has led to a new set of challenges.

However, a crucial understanding is needed: when interest rates decrease, prices typically increase. The inverse is also true; when prices drop, it’s often due to a rise in rates. This cycle can make timing the market feel like an impossible task conquer.

Three Considerations for Potential Homebuyers:

1. Personal Finances: Review your financial health, including savings, debt, and stable income. A strong financial foundation is critical regardless of market conditions.

2. Future Plans: Consider how long you intend to stay in your new home. If you’re planning long-term, short-term market fluctuations become less significant.

3. Market Research: While it’s not advisable to time the

market perfectly, understanding current market conditions and future predictions can provide clarity. Engage with a professional who can offer insights tailored to your situation.

The journey to homeownership is personal and unique. While external factors, like interest rates, play a role, the decision to buy should be rooted in individual readiness and long-term goals.

Remember, a home is not just an investment; it’s a place to live, grow, and create memories. Whether you choose to buy now or wait, ensure that the decision aligns with your aspirations and circumstances.

After all, the right time is when it feels right for you. Editor’s note: Barry Overton is a licensed Real Estate with New Era Group at Your Castle Real Estate. He has been an agent since 2001, and started investing in real estate in 1996. For more information, email: barrysellsdenver@msn.com or call 303-668-5433.

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JetSet Jamz JetSet Jamz

Concert Series Concert Series

Soars at DEN Soars at DEN Airport Airport

A harmonious takeoff and A harmonious takeoff and landing live music experience landing live music experience

By Brittany Winkfield By Brittany Winkfield

While airports are typically associated with the hustle and bustle of travel - passengers rushing to their gates, luggage rolling along the terminal floors, and the constant hum of announcements, Denver International Airport (DEN) is rewriting the script on the airport experience with its inaugural JetSet Jamz Concert Series. In a groundbreaking move, DEN has become the first airport in the world to host a live concert series, showcasing a diverse range of musical talents.

More than 2,500 music lovers took to the Plaza at DEN with jazz and R&B headliners After 7, Gerald Albright, Richard Elliot, Dotsero, Mary Louise Band and SUCH. This unique event redefines the way Colorado locals and travelers alike perceive airports, and provides a refreshing break from the usual airport routine.

“JetSet Jamz was about so much more than just hosting concerts at DEN. Yes, the artists were incredibly talented, and having great live music was amazing but it was really more about community,” said Phil

Washington, DEN chief executive officer. “This concert series brought thousands of people to DEN who wouldn’t necessarily have a reason to be there on a Sunday afternoon. This allowed us to engage with attendees and share information about careers, business and educational opportunities at DEN. It aligns with our Vision 100 strategic plan as we are focused on developing and growing our workforce, exposing people to aviation, and creating more opportunities, especially for underserved communities.”

DEN is focused on building an equitable, diverse and inclusive aviation workforce. That includes investing in their current workforce and also the workforce of the future. There are many opportunities to get involved at the airport and join the DEN team or one of the many businesses operating here. Later this year, DEN will break ground on its Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation (CEEA). This first-ofits-kind training facility in the aviation industry aims to invest in the development of current and incoming workforce and infrastructure.

JetSet Jamz was conceived as a way to create a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere for travelers. In partnership with Becky Taylor Events, Sandra Holman Watts of Live at Jacks and the DEN team, they transformed the Jeppesen Terminal into a captivating concert venue. This pioneering endeavor aims to celebrate the rich musical culture in

Left to right: Sandra Watts, Phil Washington and Becky Taylor with After 7. Photos by Brittany Winkfield and Ed Jenkins

Colorado while enhancing the customer experience.

One of the standout performances featured the R&B sensation group, After 7. Their smooth harmonies echoing through the Plaza provided a fun party-like atmosphere; they not only entertained but fostered a sense of community and connection among people from all walks of life. Group member, Kevon Edmonds, shared a thank you video saying, “Who knew you could have so much fun out at the airport just hanging out?”

The party continued between bands with DJ Al Your Pal, DJ Big Styles, DJ Chonz and DJ Bella Scratch. Julia Thompson, a frequent traveler and concert-goer, shared her experience, “I’ve been through many airports, but DEN’s JetSet Jamz made me feel like I was at a music festival! It’s such a unique and enjoyable way to spend my Sundays. I look forward to concerts and connections at DEN now.”

One of the most commendable aspects of JetSet Jamz is its strong commitment to supporting local talent. Colorado has a thriving music scene, and DEN

has harnessed the local talent pool, providing a platform for musicians to showcase their skills to a global audience.

The series also welcomed popular local artists including C2 Mass Choir, Same Cloth, BigPocket, Conjunto Colores, Jacob Larson Band and Cass Clayton Band.

Solomon Chapman, a singersongwriter from Denver who performed at the series, expressed his gratitude, saying, “It was such an honor for Same Cloth to be featured in JetSet

Jamz. The stage was phenomenal and the crowd was full of eager listeners from all over. I’m grateful for the opportunity that we had to share our sound with folks from near and far.”

DEN’s JetSet Jamz Concert Series is a testament to the power of innovation and creativity. By seamlessly blending the joy of live music with the travel experience, DEN has redefined what an airport can offer its community. This remarkable initiative entertains and celebrates the rich musical

culture in Colorado while fostering a sense of unity.

As JetSet Jamz continues to evolve and bring even more musical diversity to DEN, it stands as a shining example for airports worldwide to follow. By embracing the arts and creating memorable experiences, airports can transform the way people perceive air travel, making every journey an unforgettable adventure..

Editor’s note: For more information on JetSet Jamz, visit flydenver.com/concert.

Tina Tina -The Tina Turner Musical

Celebrating the Life & Legacy of the “Queen of Rock n’ Roll”

TTBy Ruby Jones

ina Turner achieved great success after overcoming unthinkable odds and escaping one of the most widely-known stories of domestic violence in entertainment. Throughout her career as a rhythm and blues, soul, and rock singer, Turner won 12 Grammy awards, earning her “Queen of Rock n’ Roll” title and solidifying her status as one of the greats. Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, captures Turner’s inspiring life story through song.

After premiering on Broadway and playing in theatres around the world, Tina is finally making its way to the Mile High City. The production will play at the Denver Center for the Performing Art’s Buell Theatre from October 18-29. Appropriately timed to run during the final week of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, audiences will come face-to-face

with Turner’s story of struggle and survival, while listening to her iconic catalog of music.

Written by Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright Katori Hall, Tina is a jukebox musical, crafted with input from the musical heroine herself. Unlike the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got to Do with It, Turner, who was displeased with the film’s portrayal of her as a victim, had an emotional response to the musical saying, “It’s like poison that turned to medicine,” on its 2019 opening night.

The poison, as Turner called it, refers to the immense hardships she endured from childhood to adulthood, when she married the infamous musician and bandleader Ike Turner. Her marriage, which left her with physical and emotional scars, ultimately led to the turning point that propelled her to superstardom as a solo artist and immortalized her as a beacon of hope.

Tina leaves audiences in awe and amazement at Turner’s story, but for Roderick Lawrence, who takes on the role of Turner’s husband, the production carries a deeper meaning. The actor, producer and cofounder of Black Man Films took a deep dive into Ike’s backstory while preparing for the weighted role. To him, the story of brokenness that led to his character’s villainous behavior follows a path of systemic and

Naomi Rodgers as Tina Turner in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical

Photo by Matthew Murphy

generational disenfranchisement, similar to many others who fall from grace.

Anna Mae Bullock was born in 1939, and grew up in Nutbush, Tennessee, where she picked cotton as a child. She started singing in the church choir at a young age, and by 16 she had moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where she sang in nightclubs with her sister.

In 1957, at just 18 years old, she met Ike and requested to sing in his band. Impressed by her talent, he trademarked Bullock’s name and image as “Tina Turner,” claiming ownership of her career and eventually her life. They went on to record several songs before the Ike & Tina Turner Revue was created in 1960. In 1962, the couple married and had a string of hits on the R&B charts.

Turner wrote about her abusive marriage in her 2018 memoir, “Tina Turner: My Love Story,” saying, “He used my nose as a punching bag so many times that I could taste blood running down my throat when I sang. He broke my jaw. And I couldn’t remember what it was like not to have a black eye.”

Tasked with humanizing the monstrous depictions of an abusive, Lawrence transforms himself into the controlling husband whose backstory is the impetus for behaviors that ultimately led to his demise.

“I wanted to color and round out the role, which not only shows part of why Tina was there as long as she was, but you get a glimpse into the humanity and the genius of the man, as well as all of the terrible things that we know he did,” he explains.

Lawrence goes on to point out the difficulty of playing a man like Ike and trying to unravel his journey to abuse. “It’s challenging to really dive into the depths of a broken Black man, and then have to go to the extremes of doing these terrible things that there’s no excuse for…My job is to find the hurt in a person, and find my hurt that similarly triggers, and try to mesh them so that I can understand this being.”

After years of agonizing abuse, Turner eventually fled from her husband in 1976. She was granted the use of the name and likeness she’d worked so hard and long to build, and continued her career as a solo artist.

Over time, she became one of the most acclaimed vocalists in history, headlining international tours and recording dozens of hit records. She is among a handful of artists who have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and in 2018 she was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the music industry.

Acknowledging that absolutely nothing justifies the horrible abuse Turner had to endure, Lawrence looks to the “why” in Ike’s story. “We meet Ike after he created rock and roll and it was stolen from him. We meet Ike after he watched his father beaten and killed in

his yard. We meet Ike after he was the only one sober in every band he had – when he was kicking people out of his band.”

Ike met his demise in 2007, after overdosing on the drugs that played a significant role in the dissolution of the Turners’ marriage. Every bit a survivor, Turner overcame multiple health crises including high blood pressure, a stroke, intestinal cancer, and kidney failure before dying from natural causes in May 2023 at age 83.

For Lawrence, Turner’s recent passing makes the already poignant production all the more meaningful. “Being chosen to be here at this time is like a divine blessing…it’s an honor that we get to be the ones to tell her story, to keep this story going,” he says.

Admiring Turner for her perseverance, Lawrence credits his own success as an actor to his ability to overcome adversity through creativity. His production company, Black Man Films, was founded as a

reprieve from micro aggressions that plague the entertainment industry. The company’s first film, Silent Partner, discusses Black male mental health in the workplace and confronts the narrative of the “angry Black man.”

By spreading awareness about mental health and other important issues facing the Black community, Lawrence is increasing representation while simultaneously helping to prevent the disastrous effects of brokenness that commonly lead to stories like Turner’s.

With Lawrence fully committed to his role as a complicated adversary, TINA is a stunning musical portrayal of a life of courage, tenacity and survival. It is an ode to Turner’s triumph; it is her story – told in her own, beautiful way. . Editor’s Note: For tickets to TINA, visit www.denvercenter.org. Listen to Ruby Jones’ Spectrum Talk interview with Roderick Lawrence at www.denverurbanspectrum.com/p odcast.

Roderick Lawrence as Ike Turner in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical Photo courtesy of Roderick Lawrence

Black Resilience in Colorado Fund Unveils New BRIC Legacy Fund and Liberation Investment Grant

During Black Philanthropy Month, the Black Resilience in Colorado (BRIC) Fund announced its new BRIC Legacy Fund and Liberation Investment Grant. Both initiatives fuel BRIC’s journey to accomplish its vision of breaking down barriers, building growth opportunities, and becoming a vital resource invested in long-term community outcomes. But more importantly, it illustrates BRIC’s commitment to helping Colorado’s Black-led and serving nonprofits expand, stabilize, and provide essential services that will continue to build stronger Black communities. The BRIC Legacy Fund will allow for the expansion of BRIC’s programs to address community needs and increase its community investments for years to come. The Denver Foundation kicked off the fundraising efforts for the BRIC Legacy Fund by committing to match all contributions to the fund dollar-fordollar up to $250,000.

“The significance of these initiatives is great because when we own our past, leverage our resilience to create change, and invest in Black communities, we have the power to liberate our future,” explained LaDawn Sullivan, BRIC Fund executive director. “Today, we are reclaiming our story and defining our future, recognizing that

what we do now can expand the legacy of our Black history, strengthen the vitality of Black communities, and create empowering stories we tell in the future.”

During the announcement, the BRIC Fund awarded the first Liberation Investment Grants to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and the Collaborative Healing Initiative within Communities (CHIC Denver), each receiving $100,000. Since its inception three years ago, the BRIC Fund has awarded nearly $4 million to more than 300 Black-led and serving Colorado nonprofits. The BRIC Fund Liberation Investment Grant will be awarded to nonprofit organizations whose work is leading transformational efforts and projects to create systemic changes for Black people – that build community-wide opportunities, produce multi-generational impact and leave a legacy that benefits Colorado’s Black communities in the future.

Building the BRIC Legacy Fund

This fall, BRIC Fund will roll out the 1619 Fundraising Campaign to support the growth of the BRIC Legacy Fund. The use of 1619 acknowledges the importance of that year in Black History, marking the beginning of race-based bondage that defined the

African-American experience. However, In building for the future, the number 16 signifies independence, and the number 19 pays tribute to BRIC’s founding date while representing growth and expansion. People will be encouraged to donate to the BRIC Legacy Fund in amounts that include 1619 to support BRIC’s fundraising goal of $10 million by 2025.

2023 BRIC Liberation Investment Grant Recipients Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CRPD)

CRPD is moving to expand the legacy and impact of arts in Black communities. The grant is being awarded to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance to support the purchase of the Shorter Building property, where the organization has resided for over 20 years. The ability to buy and expand the existing building will cement CRPD’s presence and impact in the Five Points community – allowing the organization to own its destiny – and providing a space to build and give back to the community through expanded programs and education in arts and dance. This investment ensures Colorado’s Black arts community has an anchor institution to be a proactive force to create an economic ecosystem to nurture Black artists, not lim-

ited to dance. This project will elevate the history and heritage of Black arts while expanding its community’s roots of creative artistry and sealing its legacy for generations to come.

Collaborative Healing Initiative within Communities (CHIC Denver)

CHIC Denver is taking the essential steps to understand the financial impact of decades of inequitable practices. The grant will support CHIC’s creation of a task force to determine the extent to which Black Coloradans have experienced and continue to experience racial discrimination linked to harmful practices, policies, and systems of the state. This work will quantify the generational economic impacts of those damages and create a platform to build viable solutions that could impact the outcomes of future generations. Findings from this research will help justify the recommendation of specific remedies for Black Coloradans in the form of housing, health, education, and criminal justice resources and programming.. Editor’s note: Black Resilience in Colorado (BRIC) Fund is the first Black-focused community fund established in Colorado, explicitly providing financial resources and support to Black-led and serving organizations. For more information, visit www.bricfund.org.

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and CHIC Denver named as inaugural $100,000 grant recipients

Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown

By Ruby Jones

Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown, is a celebrated musical production that tells the tale of iconic recording artist, Ruth Brown. Known as the original “Queen of R&B,” Brown’s contributions to the entertainment industry spanned nearly a century. Miss Rhythm follows the inspiring story of her life and pays tribute to one of music’s greatest talents.

Inspired by Brown’s Miss Rhythm autobiography, the cabaret production created by Sheryl McCallum and David Nehls captures the brilliance of the Tony and Grammy award-

winning singer, songwriter and actress. The long-running musical has garnered rave reviews from audiences who are captivated by Brown’s little-known journey to greatness. With just a few weeks remaining, the treasured production will end on October 22.

Nestled inside the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Complex, the Garner Galleria Theatre is transformed into a retro bandstand, fit with a gleaming grand piano and cabaret-style seating. As the show begins, a five-piece band takes the stage under the direction of Nehls, who sits at the piano. McCallum plays the starring role; floating onto the stage and delivering an 80-minute vocalization of Brown’s life story,

beginning with her early roots as a wedding singer at just six years old.

Born Ruth Alston Weston in Virginia in 1928, Brown was trained as a gospel singer by her father, who directed the church choir and opposed her growing interest in secular music.

McCallum and Nehls relate to Brown’s childhood beginnings. Having both started singing at very early ages they instinctually knew that music would hold the spotlight in their lives. For Brown, her instincts went against her father’s wishes and catapulted her into stardom.

By the time she was a teenager, Brown joined a singing group and would sneak away to perform. She left home and eloped with trumpet player Jimmie Brown, who inspired much of the blues in her rhythm and blues genre. She took his last name and began her journey as a touring vocalist, later divorcing and touring as the lead singer in her own band.

After years of touring as a top-billing artist, Brown gained the attention of the newly established Atlantic Records. In 1948, on the way to perform at the famed Apollo Theater in New York City, she was involved in a car accident that left both of

her legs crushed and resulted in an 11-month hospital stay.

Atlantic Records valued her potential and offered her a record deal, which she signed from her hospital bed. She went on to record her first hit, “So Long,” in 1949.

McCallum’s rendition of “So Long,” is one of Miss Rhythm’s greatest moments. After belting out Brown’s early catalog, the graveness of her accident and heartbreak are symbolized by a dramatic shift in lighting and mood. McCallum’s velvety voice fills the theatre in an agonizing, melancholy ballad. Despite dire circumstances, the audience watches her transformation to greater success as an R&B superstar.

Throughout the show, McCallum represents Brown’s charismatic, rambunctious persona. Her impressive vocal range is matched by the swinging band. One of the biggest surprises occurs late in the show when Nehls reveals his own smooth, jazzy voice.

Nehls, who gives an uncanny rendition of a midcentury jazz hall piano man, was struck by Brown’s majestic presence upon meeting her.

“I used to live in New York, as did Sheryl, and back in the early nineties I was living way uptown, and I was off one night and saw that Ruth Brown was

playing at the Iridium,” he recalls. “She just destroyed my brain! She was so incredible.”

His passion for Brown’s music and dedication to keeping her memory alive is evident. Nehls orchestrates the performance perfectly, cueing the band’s every note to accentuate the inflections in McCallum’s powerful delivery.

The music featured in Miss Rhythm is a testament to what Atlantic Records must have anticipated when signing one of their first R&B artists.

Atlantic Records’ first major hit was Brown’s 1953 “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Bad,” which debuted at #1 on the Billboard R&B chart and #23 on the pop chart. She went on to record numerous hits for Atlantic, which became known as “The House that Ruth Built.” Yet, over time, the music industry changed.

Once her songs stopped making the charts, Atlantic Records released her from her contract. She walked away from her fame and supposed fortune with a bill for tour expenses in the amount of $30,000.

Brown persevered, working as a domestic worker and bus driver before returning to the stage. She was singing at nightclubs when comedian Redd Foxx invited her to Los Angeles, California to play Mahalia Jackson in Selma.

She went on to appear on several television shows, including Hello, Larry, and The Jeffersons, before playing Motormouth Maybelle Stubbs in the original 1988 film, Hairspray.

After years of activism, Atlantic Records finally waived the unrecouped debts from Brown and her peers and paid 20 years of withheld royalties. She created the Rhythm and Blues Foundation with a $2 million contribution from the record company.

“What I really liked about her was that she persevered,” says Sheryl. “Even though she had to do like many of [the

early singers] – you build this company up and they let you go; they don’t give you what you’re worth, and you have to kind of struggle. But through that, she maintained…She got in the door, made it again on her own, and continued to be successful.”

Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2000, she suffered a massive stroke but was undeterred and continued to per-

form until 2006, when she suffered a heart attack and subsequent stroke, and passed away at age 78.

Miss Rhythm is a beautiful memorial to a woman who paved the way for so many musicians to come.

“We can’t forget those who came before. Without Ruth, a lot of the artists that we hear today wouldn’t have the same kind of platform, the same kind of vibe, or the opportunity to

grow. She was such a force,” says Nehls, who hopes to craft a continuation of the production after closing night at DCPA.

“We need to respect those who have come before who really built the bridge,” he says. “And man, she was something.”.

Editor’s Note: To listen to Ruby Jones’ Spectrum Talk episode featuring Sheryl McCallum & David Nehls, visit www.denverurbanspectrum.com/podcast.

Wide Awake in Dreamland

OpEd by Wayne Trujillo

The title of a decades-old Pat Benatar cut, “Wide Awake in Dreamland,” fits the contemporary cultural and political landscapes. That’s not to suggest an 80’s pop gem from the Reagan era literally scores the soundtrack to the post-Age of Obama. “Wide Awake in Dreamland” isn’t political in the slightest. It’s just that the title fits our current political situation – a dizzying divide between right and left; progressive and regressive. Like the unrealistic and illogical nature of a dream, it doesn’t seem real.

In November 2016, we saw a symbolic curtain call of the 90’s Boomer dreams (recall

Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” with lyrics symbolizing the arrival of the Age of Aquarius at the 1992 Democratic National Convention). First, Hillary Clinton’s narrow defeat to a reality-show president, then the post-presidency era and the assorted accoutrements of shock-and-awe drama that followed.

In the 2023 political climate, the idealism of “Don’t Stop” and its future focus face off against an opposing obsession with the past—its policies and practices cleverly spun under the ostensibly innocuous and nostalgic slogan, “Make America Great Again.”

Indeed, even though the songwriters had no clue about today’s “woke” activism and opposition, the “Wide Awake in Dreamland” title presciently and ironically describes not only a central pillar of the political debate (whether or not today’s Americans are “woke,” most are at least wide awake to the debate), but also the surreal circumstances of a twiceimpeached, four-times indicted, defeated former president with a realistic chance of reclaiming the Oval Office.

Our current political environment is no dream. Nightly news reports feature a fantastical barrage of updates proving that the latest shock isn’t a transitory anomaly or quirk. “Woke” is a word and concept central to the debate.

The Black Lives Matter movement wielded the word as a rallying cry for equality and unity in recent years, with other marginalized communities like the LGBT community subsequently adopting its moniker and message. National Public Radio reported on the word’s relevance as a symbol of struggle dating back nearly a century.

“The word has a long history,” NPR reporter Domenico Montanaro explained on “Morning Edition.” “It was used in Black protest songs dating back to the early 20th century, including by Huddie ‘Lead Belly’ Ledbetter, singer of the 1938 song, ‘Scottsboro Boys.’”

Montanaro further recounted that Lead Belly’s song and use of the word “woke” warned, “Be careful. Stay woke. Keep your eyes open. The Scottsboro Boys were nine Black teenagers who are accused of raping two white girls, in what is widely seen today as one of the worst cases of racist legal injustice. It helped spur the civil rights movement and loosely inspired the book and movie, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’”

Montanaro noted that

Erykah Badu reintroduced the word into the popular vernacular with her 2008 song, “Master Teacher.” Another guest on the “Morning Edition” program, Ohio State University professor Elaine Richardson, stated, “It comes out of Black culture…In simple terms, it just means being politically conscious and aware, like stay woke.”

If the “woke” tag rallies the Black Lives Movement, it also rallies the opposition. Politicians toss off the term to conservative constituencies like a bullfighter waving a red flag; often provoking a similar response. Both sides use “woke” as both a charge and call for change and action.

Within society, names, artifacts and symbols are more than ornamental accessories. They communicate cultural morals and values, and often serve as potential catalysts for calm, chaos and change. Reactions to “woke” evidence America’s cultural split. The contemporary Republican charge against “woke,” its values and its aspirations reminds of previous conservative attempts to demonize progressive principles as “liberal.” In the past, turning the name into a pejorative succeeded, with many Democratic politicians vociferously rejecting the term and loudly proclaiming the centrism associated with the Clinton-era New Democrats.

Over a decade ago, I responded, via a letter to the editor, to a Bob Herbert column in the New York Times in which the journalist asserted that liberalism should be an honor rather than a stigma. I wrote:

“I salute Bob Herbert for writing one of the most salient and muscular reprimands to liberals that I’ve read. It’s frustrating to witness Democrats cringe at the liberal epithet, and even more exasperating to watch the party’s candidates assume ridiculous poses and stands as they prepare for gen-

Left: Colorado Governor, Jared Polis Right: Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis

eral elections.

At some point in the past few decades, popular perception began to equate liberalism with effete enablers, while conservatism burst from the cultural periphery of the Goldwater era, powered by mainstream images of Ronald Reagan, John Wayne and allAmerican testosterone, equal parts responsibility, fortitude and discipline. But, as Mr. Herbert reminds us, it’s the policies and programs of liberal titans like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson that pack the strength to lift countless Americans out of discrimination, danger, despair and doom. Case in point: Which has more influence on Americans today, social security or Star Wars?”

Today’s “woke” debate faces an updated but similar situation. Opponents ignore the historical import of the term from the Civil Rights Movement’s advances, branding it as an affront on American values with the potential to victimize others outside marginalized communities.

Colorado and Florida stand at the crossroads in the “woke” debate and divide. Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, largely built a political brand by transforming “woke” into a foul word worthy of a sudsy mouthwashing among many of his constituents (he won reelection last year in a landslide). When Governor DeSantis proclaimed,

“Florida is where ‘woke’ goes to die,” he made sure that his efforts reflected his words.

Expanding the definition of “woke” far beyond the Black Live Matter movement’s goals, he included efforts by the LBGT and other marginalized communities to advance their causes. Attempting to wage his “Woke War” in everything from the classroom to the boardroom through Florida’s Stop-Woke Act, DeSantis has faced off against adversaries as diverse as schoolteachers, Disney and Budweiser. In the process, he has carried the “anti-woke” banner to national fame.

Colorado is located a couple thousand miles – and as many light years – away from Florida. While some progressives complain that the Colorado Governor, Jared Polis, is a moderate, conservative critics claim he’s anything but, considering that he recently signed several progressive bills into law that run counter to Florida’s restrictions. Media outlets rushed to report Colorado’s passage of the bills with CNN proclaiming in an online headline, “Colorado governor signs bills further enshrining rights to abortion and gender-affirming care.”

Governor DeSantis considers “woke” values an infringement of the general population; meanwhile CNN reported that Governor Polis regards abortion rights and gender-affirming

care – both under the “woke” umbrella of priorities – as protections rather than infringements of individual freedoms.

Governor Polis advanced the notion when he tweeted, “Florida’s authoritarian socialist attacks on the private sector are driving businesses away. In CO, we don’t meddle in affairs of companies like @Disney or @Twitter.”

Even as Governor DeSantis proclaims that Florida is where “woke” goes to die, others realize that Colorado is where it comes to flourish.

Zippia.com listed Colorado as the fourth most “woke state” in the nation, behind Oregon, Washington and Vermont. Two of the six primary factors the outlet used for its ranking included the number of Black Lives Matter protests and the number of Black Lives Matter protest attendees relative to the state’s population. Zippi.com noted that the state scored well among all the criteria it used to

rank. “No one stat earned Colorado its 4th-place ranking, but rather a respectable score in each category showing it is overall a fairly socially conscious state.”

It’s easy to believe that most people accept the changes resulting from an increasingly diverse and educated nation, and that any holdouts are stragglers, sleepwalking through a distant decade. However, the polarized electorate that produced narrow victories in the previous two presidential elections – each decided by less than a hundred thousand votes in three states – disputes this assumption.

While the current political landscape may seem like a dreamland, those who consider themselves wide awake realize that although it has been over half a century since the civil rights battles of the 60’s, the fight is far from over or settled..

ublisher Lenora Alexander had her work cut out for her when she opened Ansar El Muhammad’s photo archives. Her friend and longtime colleague at the Denver Weekly News had amassed hundreds of thousands of files in his two decades shooting for her. Now that it was time to find some images for his obituary and funeral, she was realizing just how much work he’d left behind.

“Nothing took me by surprise except the amount of photos that man has taken,” she said on Wednesday, as his funeral service concluded. “He tended to look at his photos and delete them if he didn’t think it was a good shot of someone. But the amount of photos that he saved was just amazing. Amazing. And we will keep those photos and we are going to do something with ’em.”

El Muhammad died on Aug. 13. At his remembrance this week, his friends and family remarked on the breadth of his impact in Denver, particularly in the city’s Black communities. He was more than a photojournalist. He was a father, a chef and a man of faith. But those photos are his legacy, they said, and the void he left behind will be difficult to fill.

El Muhammad found photography as an art of service.

His photos were often candid and almost always contained smiles.

Ansar El Muhammad remembered as an archivist of Black Denver’s culture

“His presence made our presence known, and we will forever be indebted to him for that.”

By Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Editor’s note: This article was first published in Denverite and is republished with permission by the writer Kevin J. Beaty

El Muhammad was selftaught and came into his own as a documentarian when he got his hands on a digital SLR camera in the early 2000s.

He was born Royce Sanders in 1945, grew up in Denver, ran track and graduated from Manual High School, then went to the military during the Vietnam War. In the ’70s, he moved with his family to Los Angeles, where he found faith, became a lifelong member of the Nation of Islam and renamed himself Ansar El Muhammad, a name that literally means “helper of Allah.”

“Helper” was apt as community service became a major thread in his life. In the mid’90s, he returned to Denver and began work with Brother Jeff Fard to build a community center in Five Points.

“The cultural center grew out of the killing in our community, the gangs, drugs and violence. So it was put together as a safe place for the community to gather,” Fard told us as a horse-drawn carriage carried El Muhammad’s casket to that very place. “Brother Ansar represented that servant quality.”

El Muhammad gained a reputation for his fried fish and seasoned fries, which he served up at the cultural center. It was also the place where he discovered how a camera could play into his deeper mission.

en, and he always wanted to make sure that his community was portrayed as best he could,” Alexander told us. “I know that he stood toe-to-toe

photographers. But he was up there for a different reason. He just wanted to make his community be seen.”

“That was his entry into service, to be a photographer,” Fard said. “When you’re capturing someone’s image, they’re allowing you into their space.

A photo of Ansar El Muhammad onscreen during his funeral service at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. Aug. 30, 2023. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Kelly Murrell speaks emotionally during a funeral for her father, Ansar El Muhammad, a longtime photographer for the Denver Weekly News and active Five Points community member. Aug. 30, 2023. Kevin Beaty/Denverite

Pallbearers, Ansar El Muhammad's brothers from the Fruit of Islam, carry El Muhammad's casket to a horse-drawn carriage as his funeral concludes in Five Points. Aug 30, 2023. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

A funeral procession for Ansar El Muhammad makes its way down Welton Street. Aug. 30, 2023. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

To get into someone’s space, and to be interested in their space, is a gift that Ansar possessed. And you see that in all of those images.”

The trick, Fard added, is El Muhammad captured Black Denver’s joy and beauty. While hard news photographers may only show up for bad news, el Muhammad was always present. His eye elevated people, and gave them pride.

“His photography is very celebratory. He highlights the best of our culture,” Fard said. “He captured the royalty of those celebrating [joyful] moments.”

Former state legislator Wilma Webb, who knew El Muhammad for years, said that perspective was invaluable to his community.

“His presence made our presence known, and we will forever be indebted to him for that,” she said.

El Muhammad was good at his job because he knew whom he was photographing.

He didn’t talk too much, his friends said on Wednesday, and finding photos of him for the service was another tricky task.

“Brother Ansar, he thought he was slick as all get out, and would never let you take his picture,” Fard said from the stage. “But look who was slicker.”

They’d found plenty to display during the ceremony. One reason why: He was always part of the spaces where he worked, as much as he tried to hide behind his external flash. He couldn’t escape other lenses as he attended and helped organize community events.

“He knew what he was looking at. He knew who he was shooting so many times,” Alexander told us. “People come from the outside, and they shoot the same people over and over. But Ansar knew who his father was, who her grandfather was. So that’s how

he was able to become intergenerational. He could go to any event; people would recognize him. They would welcome him, and he enjoyed that.”

Terry Nelson, a founding librarian of the nearby BlairCaldwell African American Research Library, said his unique access helped continue a tradition of photojournalism within Black Denver. She, and others at Wednesday’s service, likened him to Burnis McCloud,

a legendary Black photojournalist who covered the city in the early 20th century.

“Absolutely, he had his own style, without a doubt,” Nelson said of El Muhammad. “But both of them were crucial to our community, absolutely crucial, because they talked about how we are.”

Yes, El Muhammad’s photos are undoubtedly in BlairCaldwell’s archives, she added, though he doesn’t have his own

collection, at least for now.

His daughter, Kelly Murrell, said she was astonished to see how her dad’s passion led him to so many more friendships.

“You guys have taught me so much about my father. I knew a lot about him, but I didn’t know how many people he touched,” she said at the podium, choking up. “There’s so much love here for him, and it makes it a lot easier for me. I’m going to miss him.”.

CBWPA Annual Tribute to Black Women Luncheon

Slated for October

The Colorado Black Women for Political Action (CBWPA) presents the 45th Annual Tribute to Black Women luncheon, honoring the tireless efforts and exemplary contributions of Black women who work to support Black communities in the state of Colorado.

This year our theme is, “Embracing the Past to Shape our Future,” was chosen to honor the foremothers of the Black community whose persistent efforts have shaped our current social and political landscape.

This year’s keynote speaker is Congresswoman Jahana Hayes who was elected in November 2018 and is the first African-American Congresswoman of Connecticut. She garnered widespread notoriety when she earned the distinction of 2016 National Teacher of the Year by President Barack Obama.  As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus since 2018, she champions for policies that impact marginalized communities.

Congresswoman Hayes currently sits on the full House committees of Education, Labor, and Agriculture. Her areas of legislative focus are vast, and include equitable access to quality education, affordable health care for all, food security, labor, agriculture, and environment. She has been a fierce advocate for immigration reform, gun violence prevention, veteran issues, social justice, and transportation—and has done so working in a bipartisan way.

The community is invited to pay homage to current and past CBWPA leaders on Oct. 7 at the Seawall Ballroom at the Denver Center for Performing Arts.

For tickets and more information, visit www.cbwpa.org

Crowley Foundation Presents Young Kings Showcase

The first Young Kings Showcase presented by The Crowley Foundation will be held Friday, Nov. 10 at The Benson Hotel from 6 to 10 p.m. This fundraising event will be a night filled with fun, performances, food, drinks and unforgettable moments. The community is invited to this joyous occasion to show support for the community. Put on your best after 5 attire and bring a friend, or several. For tickets, tables, sponsorship opportunities or more information, visit www.crowleycollegeprep.com or email info@crowleycollegeprep.com.

Colorado Black Authors

Book Fair Highlight Local Authors

National Book Month is held each October. The month-long celebration focuses on the importance of reading, writing and literature. Veteran radio personality James “Dr. Daddio” Walker is spearheading an event to celebrate and recognize Black authors and writers in Denver.

The Colorado Black Authors Guild (CBAG) LLC will host the Colorado Black Authors Book Fair on Saturday, October 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at brother jeff’s Cultural Center, located at 2836 Welton St. and 2821 Welton St. in Denver’s historic Five Points community.

Organizers will provide a platform for Black authors to showcase their voice, stories, and experiences; ensuring that the narratives are not only heard but celebrated. The event will allow the authors to connect with their audience, share their creative process, and receive the recognition they deserve.

For more information, call 303-947-6708 or email power1510kdko@aol.com.

October 8, 2023–February 19, 2024

IMAGE: Amoako Boafo, Bella Sontez (detail), 2019. Oil on paper; 28 x 22 in., Courtesy of Private Collection and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles. Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks is presented in partnership between Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco. The exhibition is curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah. The presentation of this exhibition at the Denver Art Museum is organized by Rory Padeken, Vicki and Kent Logan Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. It is funded by Vicki and Kent Logan, the Birnbaum Social Discourse Project, U.S. Bank, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.

OCT 18 – 29

BUELL THEATRE

SEASON SPONSORS

DENVERCENTER.ORG

Photo: Pari Dukovic

THE

THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL