COLORFUL STORIES
See me Hear me
stories of tribulation, courage, and triumph
November 3, 2018 11 AM to 2 PM
Renaissance Hotel Denver, Colorado
Mary Louise Lee
Message from the Honorary Chair Welcome to Colorful
Stories…See me, Hear me. I am very happy to
serve as the honorary chair for this very important luncheon that will entertain, educate and empower everyone in attendance.
These five courageous women will share a piece of their life that is compelling and thought provoking. I thank Carlotta Walls LaNier, Ollie Marie Phason, Rhonda Jackson, Senator Rhonda Fields and Denver Urban Spectrum publisher, Rosalind “Bee” Harris for allowing us to enter your space today through displays, print editorial, video, and conversation. Their stories on Institutional Racism, Public Safety, Health Disparities, Political Engagement and Elder Abuse are important as they have impacted the community in the past and current day as Dr. Brenda Allen, Detective Lisa C. Love, Dr. Terri Richardson, Stephany Rose Spaulding and Whitney Nettleton will attest to with moderator Tamara Banks. I hope and encourage anyone here today who has experienced or is involved in any of these situations find comfort and seek assistance if needed, after seeing and hearing these Colorful Stories today.
Mary Louise Lee
First Lady of Denver
About the First Lady of Denver One of the few natives of Denver, Mary Louise Lee began performing at an early age. For over 20 years, she has built an extraordinary professional performing career as a vocalist, actress and band leader local, national and international. She has performed at numerous high profile events including being a Season 9 contestant on “America’s Got Talent”. She also happens to be the First Lady of Denver, where she combines her passion for the arts and youth through her Bringing Back the Arts Foundation. Ms. Lee is committed to being an ambassador for the arts to help expose and expand access to Denver’s vibrant arts and cultural communities. For more information, visit facebook.com.bringbacktheartsfoundation.
About the Mayor of Denver Michael B. Hancock is Denver’s 45th mayor. During his time in office, Mayor Hancock and his administration have eliminated the city’s budget deficit, fostered a diverse economy and restored much needed services that were lost during the recession. With a drive toward increasing opportunity for every resident, he has prioritized innovative solutions to investing in the city’s children and youth; increasing mobility options, affordable housing and services for the homeless; supporting economic mobility, entrepreneurs and small businesses; and making government work smarter for residents. Prior to becoming mayor, he served on the Denver City Council for eight years and was President of the Metro Denver Urban League
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Rosalind J. Harris Denver Urban Spectrum Publisher
Thank you for joining us today for Colorful Stories…See Me, Hear me – stories of tribulation, courage and triumph. Crossing paths shall not be overlooked. My path has crisscrossed with these colorful stories over the years. I have shared a Girls Scouts’ weekend of camp with Carlotta; went to football games with Marie; watched Rhonda Jackson give acting tips to my grandson; shared birthday celebrations with Rhonda Fields; and talked with my Mother about President Obama. But those are not the stories we will be seeing, hearing or talking about today. They go a lot deeper and will bring light to the hearts and minds that are here today. I am grateful for their stories. Along with them, I thank our community experts for providing expertise in their field. Special thanks also, to our First Lady of Denver, Mary Louise Lee for serving as our honorary chair I hope you will be inspired, enlightened and educated as Tamara Banks takes you on this colorful journey. Thank you all for coming and supporting these “Colorful Stories.” Enjoy your afternoon.
Tamara Banks Emcee and Moderator
For Emmy Award winning journalist Tamara Banks, the statement, “One Person Can Make a Difference,” is more than just words. Her life experiences, connectibility and sense of humor have made her a sought-after keynote speaker and emcee. Tamara is a freelance TV journalist, talk show host and documentary filmmaker, focusing on social justice and dedicated to creating transformative social change through excellence in journalism. Her areas of expertise include: social justice and political issues, nationally and internationally, particularly in Sudan, South Sudan and Darfur, and other parts of the globe where there is little or no news coverage about crimes against humanity and genocide. Her documentary short film, “The Long Journey Home,” was accepted into the 2009 Hollywood Film Festival, “HollyShorts.” Banks feels she is called to make a deeper impact in the world especially in the places where she travels as a journalist. Knowing that 1.2 billion people are living without electricity globally – 173 million are in urban areas (World Bank), Tamara launched BE BRILLIANT, an initiative for a call to action. Her goal is to distribute 100,000 solar-powered lamps by 2020 to developing countries and conflict zones. This quote by African American journalists and civil rights activists Ida B. Wells drives her to shine a bright light through ethical journalism and solar-powered lamps. “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” For more information visit www.tamarabanks.com; Twitter – iamtamarabanks; or Facebook – Tamara Banks.
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Carlotta Walls LaNier: Overcoming Institutional Racism
Civil rights pioneer, Carlotta Walls LaNier, is a testament to the power of education in the pursuit of personal and collective goals. At 14 years old, LaNier was the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine who were leaders in the desegregation of public schools – a turning point in the fight against racial oppression in America. In the mid-1950s, LaNier was excelling in her classes at her all-Black junior high school. Her teachers did their best to prepare students for success, employing unconventional methods to counter poor conditions. However, LaNier was not reaching her full academic potential, so LaNier volunteered to become one of the first nine Black students to attend Little Rock Central High School. In September 1957, LaNier and her classmates faced a mob of angry white segregationists and were turned away by armed Arkansas National Guardsmen under orders from Governor Orval Faubus. LaNier and the students were instructed to stay home, where they were given coursework and tutored by a group of college professors. The students made another attempt to enter the high school, but ended up hiding under blankets in the back seat of a car to avoid the white mob’s anger. The next day, President Dwight D. Eisenhower deposed the governor’s power over the Arkansas National Guard, deploying the 101st Airborne Division to escort the students into the school.
“… to have 1,200 troopers to fly in, roll in and drive in from Fort Campbell, Kentucky just told me how special we were.” LaNier excelled during her first year at Central, despite hostility from some white classmates. But before she could begin her second year, the schools were closed.
“The governor closed all the schools. 3,600 kids in (Little Rock) Arkansas, black or white, didn’t have a high school to go to. I was determined to finish my 11th grade year.” So, LaNier took correspondence courses from the University of Arkansas and went to summer school classes in Chicago, Cleveland and St. Louis to finish the 11th grade. The period known as “The Lost Year” ended with a declaration from a federal district court, reopening schools. When LaNier returned to classes, her family’s home was bombed.
“The bombing took place Feb. 9th, 1960 and I was determined not to allow them to feel like they had won. I was determined to finish high school and graduate in May of 1960.” And finish, she did, becoming the first Black woman to graduate from Central High – a triumph for not only herself but for millions of students after her. However, even with increased diversity in classrooms today, the United States is facing an educational crisis with a widening opportunity gap for at-risk students. LaNier is confident that the collective efforts of young people will have a tremendous impact on the future of education, applauding the compassion and passion for justice shown by the courageous survivors of the Parkland High School Shooting.
“I truly feel that there is more work to be done. 333 years of living a certain way in this country prior to 1954 Brown vs education. In this short period of time since then we have accomplished a great deal and I feel that we must be vigilant to keep those laws, that progress viable and to make sure that we do not go backwards and more about going forward than anything else. Even if it means just staying the same, we need to do that in this point in time. It’s so very important that we vote for leaders to take us in the right direction.”
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Ollie Marie Phason Securing Public Safety
On June 9, 1993, Ollie Marie Phason received a devastating phone call that would change her life. Her 6-year old son, Broderick Bell Jr., had been wounded by a drive-by shooting. The incident galvanized Denver during a surge of gang activity, and Broderick’s image was used as the face of the notorious “Summer of Violence,” a time marked by the senseless killing and injury of dozens of innocent people. Phason’s Summer of Violence began on May 15, 1993, when her father, Oliver, disappeared without a trace. Then, Phason’s oldest daughter, Anika, was targeted and threatened by a group of girls from a dangerous street gang. On June 9, Anika was driving home with her siblings after their first day of summer camp when she pulled over to greet a friend. Suddenly, three carloads of teenage girls sped down the street, shooting indiscriminately at houses on both sides. Realizing that they were caught in the middle of the gunfire, Phason’s children ducked down, but curious Broderick peeked up and was struck in the forehead by a 9mm bullet. Phason’s daughter frantically delivered the news of her brother’s injury to her mother on the phone. At the hospital, the surgeon told Phason that he’d removed the swelling and fragments from Broderick’s brain, but could not remove the bullet. Her son was on life support, and the prognosis was bleak.
“When I went into the room and I saw what Broderick looked like, he didn’t look like the picture that they were showing on tv so that’s when I asked the cameras to come in to let the gang members see what I saw, what they did to me…” The images of 6-year old Broderick on life support evoked a national response. From Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and the Denver Police to Governor Roy Romer and the state legislature, action was fast. Law enforcement activities went into overtime and strict crime laws were passed. Over 300 juveniles were arrested for gun crimes that year. Broderick survived the shooting, but Phason lives with the trauma and emotional scars from that time of tribulation. The search for her father had been put on hold as the family awaited Broderick’s recovery, but two years later, her father’s body was found buried in a shallow grave. Soon after, Phason’s oldest daughter revealed that she had been abused by her stepfather for years, sending Phason into a depression cured only by forgiveness.
“If it wasn’t for God and the power of me knowing the Lord, I would be devastated with the things that happened in my life. So the first thing that I’ve learned on healing is forgiveness. You’ve got to forgive these people and we have to pray a hedge of protection around our family and children.” After using her platform to call for gun control, death threats forced Phason out of the neighborhood where she grew up. She now questions the effectiveness of the laws, which she likens to putting a band-aid on a major wound, but remains hopeful that lawmakers will find plausible solutions for the gun-control crises amid worsening conditions.
“Well, they’re building more institutions and to me that’s the wrong answer. We need to pray for a mind of wisdom to elect the right people to make changes. What we need to do with our youth but incarcerating them is just putting a Band-Aid on a wound and they are coming out worse than when they went in there.” Though she no longer advocates for political issues, Phason is an active supporter of organizations that help at-risk women. She shares her courageous testimony with the survivors of violent crimes, and how she has triumphed over darkness. Meanwhile, she urges community members to do their part in protecting the community.
“When people go to war they come back and they need counseling. Well we’re having so much mass shootings and you’re not thinking about the people who were there and they are walking among us wounded and so you have loud sounds and you’re not the same. You’re not the same raising your kids anymore because now you want to protect them because you’re scared for them to go to a movie theater; you’re scared for them to go to a concert. People don’t realize we’re doing memorials for people who pass but you’ve got these survivors around but not acknowledging we have a lot of people that needs to heal some type of way.”
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Rhonda Jackson Health Disparities
The first thing you notice about Rhonda Jackson is her radiant smile and a beautiful sense of style. However, hidden beneath her gentle exterior is unpredictable pain and exhaustion.After years of working as a corporate professional and exploring her passion for theater as an actress, Jackson experienced a life-changing health crisis. Lupus, a systemic autoimmune disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues and organs, robbed Jackson of her strength, mobility and the independence that she’d worked so hard to achieve. In the early 1990s, Jackson began to experience unusual feelings of exhaustion. Her doctor thought she had the flu, but the discomfort persisted. In the next weeks, still feeling ill, she returned to the doctor and was diagnosed with viral pneumonia before tragically suffering a miscarriage. Her doctor began to have suspicions of a more serious health condition, and sent her to a rheumatologist who confirmed the diagnosis.
“She took me into her office and she said I want to talk to you about your health, and she said I think you have Lupus. And not knowing what that meant, I knew what Lupus was but I didn’t know what it meant for my future, And that was my first I guess awakening that I would never be cured, basically. That it’s an autoimmune disease for which there is not cure. But still, you know no big deal. I still didn’t feel it would be debilitating, not for me anyway. Because I was much younger, we feel like we’re invincible.” In fact, it can be debilitating. The symptoms of Lupus include fatigue, fever, joint pain, shortness of breath, and a tell-tale butterfly-shaped rash on the face or rashes elsewhere on the body. Known as “the cruel mystery” and “the great imitator,” it mimics several other illnesses and no two cases are the same, so diagnosis can take several years. Many lupus patients are unable to work full time due to complications of the unpredictable illness, resulting in health disparities and inadequate insurance coverage.
“Well it definitely is a roller coaster because on any given day I never know how I am going to feel, on any given day. And so, there’s an anxiety level that comes with that. Like if I have something I need to do or something that’s on my calendar I’m just hoping and praying that I can feel good that day, because I don’t feel that I have any control over that. … I have more bad days then I do good. And the irony of that is that most days I look like I feel fine, but I don’t. I don’t feel fine and accepting that was really, really hard for me. Because my mind still feels like it can still do things that it used to do, but my body is not so cooperative sometimes.” The disease intensified for Jackson in 2010, during a particularly stressful period at work. Her doctor prescribed Prednisone to suppress the immune system and inflammation, but the side effects made her miserable. During her worsening health crisis, Jackson’s employer went out of business; she lost her health benefits and was faced with outrageous medical expenses. She attempted to find work, but with a low energy level in interviews, she did not receive a single job offer. Jackson applied for disability benefits and received financial assistance from The Lupus Foundation of Colorado. With the financial strain reduced, she was still physically and emotionally overwhelmed.
“It’s meant, It’s been a 360, this change in my life, which I had never anticipated, I had never thought that at this juncture in my life that there would be so many physical limitations and I’ve had to learn to make the physical accommodations like it dictates everything, it dictates what I wear, it dictates what I eat, it dictates where I go, my entire lifestyle … I’m depleted. I’m drained. I’m exhausted. But that doesn’t keep me from having a positive attitude, and I think when you have a chronic illness sometimes, it’s so miserable that it becomes, there’s some self-deprecation that goes along with that. Its like, are you kidding me? So you just have to laugh at it.” Eventually, she found a new physician, who prescribed treatments that helped her regain limited mobility. Today, Jackson is courageous in her efforts to lead life more on her terms, and is an advocate for health equity, spreading awareness about the effects of the disease and bringing attention to its global socio-economic impact. To increase understanding and support for people living with the chronic disease, Jackson penned a stage play titled, Crying Wolf: Stories of the Lupus Warriors, which presents several perspectives on what life with lupus is really like. As Community Outreach and Education Coordinator of the Lupus Foundation of Colorado, she urges family members and friends of lupus patients to learn more about the disorder and respect the limitations it creates. In addition to making financial contributions to support lupus research, she suggests that people consider the severity of the disease with patience and compassion.
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“Well, I think the thing with Lupus is its not transparent and people are afraid to talk about it because if you say
you oh I have lupus people don’t know really what that means, and they are afraid to ask you. … So, it’s really imperative that you are able to communicate with those people around you, meaning your spouse, your family, your kids, your employer and to be honest about what’s really going on.”
Rhonda Fields
Advocating for Political Engagement Colorado Senator Rhonda Fields became an agent of change in her community after suffering the worst tribulation a mother can face. Her son, Javad Marshall-Fields, was murdered just after graduating from Colorado State University and as he was planning to be married.
“He had big dreams and a brilliant smile and he was going to go on to the university, George Washington University. He wanted to be a lobbyist. So, we were really excited because as a mom, a single parent to have a black male son graduate within four years. Some kids take five years to get a degree… so we were so very proud and so happy of his accomplishments.” On July 4, 2004, Javad had witnessed the murder of a close friend at a community party in Aurora. Cooperating fully with investigators, Javad identified the shooters, Sir Mario Owens and Robert Ray, and the driver who aided them. Owens fled the state, while Ray was arrested as an accessory but released on bail, after just one week in custody. Arapahoe County prosecutors filed a motion to seal the addresses of Javad and other witnesses, but six months passed before the motion was considered. None of the witnesses were offered state-funded witness protection services, and with no safety provisions in place, witness information was released to an associate of the gunmen. A plan to eliminate the testimony of the case’s key witness was orchestrated, and on June 20, 2005, four days before Javad was set to testify against them, he and his fiancée, Vivian Wolfe, were murdered.
“I can tell you it was one of the darkest moments in my life. I did not want to breathe, I did not want to sleep, I found myself in deep depression, crying and just feeling really paralyzed and the only thing that really got me through was my faith. It was my faith; it was the prayers of my community. They lifted me up; they wouldn’t allow me to stay in this dark place. They punched holes in my darkness where I was able to see outside of that darkness.” In response to the community’s outrage, investigators worked quickly to arrest the men. Both were found guilty of first-degree murder, sentenced to death and are currently awaiting execution. Fields’ testimony was instrumental in solving the cases; she sat through five trials with quiet strength and courage, empowered by the people closest to her.
“My son died because he had confidence in our criminal justice system, and after he was murdered, I looked around … I didn’t see any leadership as to those who are in the house or the senate or in the DAs office or those who are responsible for policing. So I had to exercise leadership to make sure that murder was solved. So that’s what got me involved. I had no other choice because as a mom first of all we never want to bury our children and I had to have resolution. And they had to go out and find out who did this horrible thing. And so I held people accountable.” In 2007, Fields was appointed to the Colorado Commission on Criminal Juvenile Justice. She worked on public safety and criminal justice bills and testified before the Colorado legislature on bills that would improve safety and protection for witnesses. Terrance Carroll, who was her state house representative as well as the speaker of the house at that time, asked Fields to run for the Colorado House of Representatives. After much consultation with her family, church and community, she ran and was elected in 2010. She was re-elected to the house in 2012 and 2014, and elected to the Colorado Senate in 2016.
“If it wasn’t for someone tapping me on my shoulder, identifying me as a resource, as someone they felt could run for office, I don’t know if I could be here. But now that I am here, I am glad that I am at the table, that I can lend voice to some of the issues that are important to my community.” Among her top priorities, Fields has worked to improve job opportunity, economic development, education, and of course public safety. For her, public safety has to include common-sense gun reform measures. She is also seeking solutions to the school-to-prison pipeline, where many kids of color are ticketed in school, sometimes just for horseplay, and can’t get out of the system. Those pathways to prison must be closed, allowing every child to have a fresh, safe start, so they can thrive. To triumph in these goals, everyone must get involved.
“We have to get off the sidelines, we have to roll up our sleeves, and we have to get involved in the political arena, because who governs matters. Basically what that means is we need to make sure we are exercising our right to vote. We need to make sure our cousins, our aunties, our neighbors, everyone we know make sure they are registered to vote, and we put in office those people who represent our values, our principles and things important to us.”
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Ruth Boyd Elder Abuse
Elder abuse and neglect affect one out of six adults over the age of 60. Healthcare professionals and human rights activists are scrambling to prevent the mistreatment of this vulnerable population, but abuse rates are expected to increase as the rapidly aging global population more than doubles from 900 million in 2015 to approximately two billion in 2050. Denver Urban Spectrum Publisher Rosalind “Bee” Harris is all too familiar with the devastating effects of elder abuse. In 2008, Harris lost her 80-year old mother, Ruth Boyd, in a tragic incident. In her soon-to-be-released memoir, The Story of Ruth, Harris tells her mother’s story starting with her southern upbringing and later her devotion to her family.
“My relationship with my mom was very close. Many people, everyone said that I looked more like her than anyone else. … She was spread thin, between all of her six children, and she tried to support all of us. We all had different lifestyles and different occupations but she made it a big effort to come to Denver for our events, starting from our first anniversary and many others over the years - she always made an effort so support her children.” On November 3, 2008, Harris spent the evening at a Democratic campaign rally in Denver, where First Lady Michelle Obama urged people to vote for her husband, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. At the end of the evening, Harris received a barrage of phone calls that interrupted her excitement and turned her life upside down. One night before Obama was elected President of the United States, Harris learned that her mother had been violently killed in her Grand Rapids, Michigan home.
“That was such a bittersweet time. We had talked about the election. She was excited about President Barack Obama. She had put in her vote. She had mailed in her ballot so she knew he was going to be President. The very next day I was at Shadow Theater. My son was doing the catering for Jeffrey Nickelson at the theater. But everybody was so excited about that, but my heart was so heavy. And people didn’t realize what was going on. It’s not a time to rain on other people’s parade. And I also enjoyed the moment of having Barack Obama become our president.” A criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Boyd’s death revealed classic signs of elder abuse. The American Psychological Association defines elder abuse as the infliction of physical, emotional, sexual or financial harm on an older adult, and includes neglect. Elder abuse occurs when the vulnerabilities associated with aging are exploited. Aging is accompanied by numerous physical challenges, including decreased strength and agility, poor coordination, and memory loss. Additionally, several emotional changes increase susceptibility and the risk of abuse. The American Association of Retired Persons estimates that 51 percent of people over the age of 75 are living alone. Loneliness has a significant impact on health, increasing the risk of obesity, stress, depression and dementia, with effects on the body comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Abuse and neglect are not easily detected, but caregivers and family members should watch for signs and behaviors that may signal a problem.
“I think people need to look at signs, ask questions, they need to watch, they need to hear, they need to listen and see where elders are. And it wouldn’t hurt to come over and visit with them. Sit down and have some dinner. Maybe take them to a movie. Maybe take them to get their hair done. But I think that people, especially if you are related to them; but even if you are not related to them, if you know a senior, I know a lot of seniors in my life that I think about them and I should call them. I need to call them just to check up on them and see if they’re ok.” Harris still struggles to cope with the heart-breaking loss of her mother, but attributes her positive attitude and ability to endure to the support of friends and family. The process of learning about her mother’s life while researching and writing the memoir was also healing.
“She did not have to leave this earth. It was sad because she was my mother. She brought me into this world. She taught me alot about life. It was very painful because it really kind of tore our family apart. What I still do today, I believe is because my mom lives right in my heart. She may not be here physically, but her spirit is here with me. She’s guiding me through this process as we speak. She’s brought everyone together because I don’t want her memory to go away.” Ten years after her mother’s death, Harris established the Ruth Boyd Elder Abuse Foundation to provide education and resources to elders and caregivers. She is also preparing to open a bed and breakfast that captures the warm, loving essence her mother left behind. “Big Ma’s Place” will be a cherished establishment where people can gather and be well.
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“I think everyone who’s here today, everyone’s tragedy, everyone - they are all tragedies. They are sadness. But we have all overcame and found a way to persevere. We’re all here to help everybody. You know there are other stories, thousands of stories, so many stories. Everyone sitting here has got a story. You know, the ones who have suffered, they’re going through things. They’re not talking to people. They can reach out. They can reach out to anyone here. We’re here to help. We’re here to support. We’re here to persevere. That’s what it’s all about, Colorful stories.”
Colorful Stories Program
Opening Song.....................…”Calling All Dreamers”.....................Vickilyn Reynolds Welcome...............…......................................Kia Milan, Cecile Perrin Melovy Melvin Greetings............................................................….Tamara Banks, Emcee/Moderator The Occasion….......................Norma J. Paige, Vice President, 100 Men Who Cook Remarks...............................…Honorary Chair Mary Louise Lee, First Lady of Denver Invocation….................................................................................Rev. Quincy Shannon
Lunch
Enjoy lunch and the video presentations (Please keep your conversations low and to a minimum...Thank you!)
Introduction of Panelists Panel Discussion
Song..............................”Fly Me To The Moon”.............................…Vickilyn Reynolds Special Presentations..................…Ruby Jones, Journalist, Denver Urban Spectrum Acknowledgements….................................................Kenneth Johnson, Event Chair Closing Remarks............................…Rosalind “Bee” Harris, Denver Urban Spectrum
Luncheon and PreLuncheon LobbyEntertainment Vickilyn Reynolds
Vocalist
Goatfish
Vocalist
Cephas Howard
Keyboardist
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Community Experts Dr. Brenda J. Allen Institutional Racism Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion and Professor of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus During her 25+ years in the University of Colorado system, Dr. Allen has developed a track record for scholarship, teaching, and service related to organizational communication and diversity, with an emphasis on higher education. Among her numerous publications is the groundbreaking book — Difference Matters: Communicating Social Identity. She offers workshops, consultations, and keynote presentations. Dr. Allen has received many recognitions, including: the first Annual Award for Outstanding Achievement for Commitment to Diversity at CU Denver; a Women in Leadership and Management Award (named in honor of Wilma J. Webb); the first Annual Ally of the Year Award from the GLBT Alliance at CU Boulder; the Carroll C. Arnold Distinguished Lectureship from the National Communication Association; and, the Elizabeth Gee Award from the University of Colorado System.
Detective Lisa Love Public Safety Denver Police Department Detective Love graduated from with a BS in Behavioral Science from Metropolitan State College and is currently seeking a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from University of Colorado at Denver. Lisa has worked for over 28 years with the Denver Police Department as a Peace Officer, Detective, Peer Counselor, and Hostage Negotiator; also, she has coached and mentored Girls Basketball for the past 30 years. Lisa also participates in teaching and mentoring youth in the local community. Detective Love is as passionate about education as she is about the public safety for our children and community.
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Terri Richardson, MD Health Disparities Internist Kaiser Permanente, Colorado Vice Chair, Colorado Black Health Collaborative Dr. Richardson grew up in Northeast Denver, Colorado and attended Stanford University where she received a BS in biology. She received her MD degree from Yale University School of Medicine and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She worked at Eastside Health Center, Denver Health, for 17 years and is currently a physician at Kaiser Permanente East. Dr. Richardson has over 30 years of experience as a clinician, health educator, mentor, and volunteer in the health arena. She has served on a number of volunteer boards and as a speaker around health care issues impacting the African American community.
Rev. Dr. Stephany Rose Spaulding Political Engagement Democratic Candidate for Congress, 5th Congressional District, Colorado Stephany Rose Spaulding received a Ph.D. in American Studies from Purdue University. In 2010, she joined the faculty of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs where she was candidly told that African-Americans often struggled to thrive in the community. She would succeed as a scholar and rise to chair the Women’s and Ethnic Studies program. Dr. Spaulding was told Colorado Springs had a reputation as a bastion of conservative values with predominantly white male leaders. As a diversity and inclusion expert, Dr. Spaulding decided to stop waiting for the community to come to her and began building bridges to people outside her personal and professional circle. Rev. Stephany’s success in building a dynamic community can be seen in the faces of Ebenezer Baptist Church parishioners where she serves as senior pastor. Her experience and passion for uniting people despite their differences makes her uniquely qualified to take her place in Washington as a “can-do” congresswoman who will represent the interests of ALL of her constituents.
Whitney Nettleton Elder Abuse Manager, Denver County Adult Protective Services (APS); Denver Department of Human Services (DDHS) Whitney Nettleton has served at-risk adults experiencing mistreatment for the past 12 years. She has participated in the creation, facilitation and management of several community and agency collaborations for at-risk adults who have been victims of mistreatment. She was a founding member of the Denver Forensic Collaborative, which provides a rapid, risk-mitigating response to the city’s most vulnerable and repeatedly mistreated at-risk adults. Whitney has a lengthy history of involvement in local and state level projects and serves as a member of the Colorado State APS Task Group, the State Aging and Adult SubPAC, the Denver Commission on Aging. She is a Denver native and is very much invested in working to create a responsive and effective system to meet the needs of our community’s most vulnerable adults.
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Acknowledgements Sponsors
Pynergy Haroun K. Cowans Sawaya Law Firm ARC Thrift Stores Asfaw McDonald’s/Asfaw Foundation Butler Snow CBAM – Colorado Black Arts Movement Colorado Access Connect For Health IHR Recycling Janus Henderson Mable Sutton Visit Denver The Flyfisher Group Webb Group Int’l
Table Sponsors Lupus Foundation Colorado MOC – Montbello Organizing Committee Morris Price Jr. Ollie Marie Phason Safe City Senator Rhonda Fields University of Denver
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Special Thanks Al Saadiq Johnson/Stunt Time Productions Bernard Grant Bobby Wells Music Brian “Scoop” Nemeth Brother Jeff/Five Points News Cephas Howard Dale Carroll Denver Botanic Gardens Donald James/Pit Stop BBQ Goatfish & Friends Hailima Yates Jody Gilbert/Kolor Graphix KGNU Rev. Quincy Shannon Tanya Ishikawa/Buffalo Trails Tamara Banks Vickilyn Reynolds Vinson Powell
Committee Members Kenneth Johnson – Chair Melovy Melvin – Co-Chair Alfonzo Porter Angelo Cho Britney Dallas Cecile Perrin Cherry Reynolds Jamil Shabazz Janet Dallas Kia Milan Lawrence James Lori Collier Mable Sutton Misty Bell Norma J. Paige Ruby Jones Sandra Stephens Velois Carr Rausch Zilingo “Zee” Nwuke
janushenderson.com
Carlotta Walls LaNier... Ollie Marie Phason... Rhonda Jackson... Senator Rhonda Fields... Ruth J. Boyd...
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The Story of Ruth A Memoir
On November 3, 2008, Denver Urban Spectrum Publisher Rosalind “Bee” Harris lost her mother The Story of due to a senseless act of violence. Although it has been 10 years, she is still coming to grips about the loss. To help her cope with the tragedy, she is writing a memoir in her honor, “The Story of Ruth.” This poignant, funny and intriguing story will delve into the life of Ruth J. Boyd, from her humble beginnings growing up in Mississippi as an only child to her migration to Grand Rapids, Michigan as a young mother and wife with her baby son and young husband; to the latter part of her life and ultimately her unfortunate demise. In addition to the memoir, which is scheduled for release on January 2, 2019 in celebration of what would be her mother’s 91st birthday, Harris has estab-A Memoir by Rosalind J. Harris lished the Ruth Boyd Elder Abuse Foundation that will assist seniors who are experiencing elder abuse and on a fixed income. To pre-order a copy of the book or for more information or to donate to the Ruth Boyd Elder Abuse Foundation, email publisher@urbanspectrum.net or call 303-292-6446.
Ruth
Colorful Stories Benefitting Organizations Carlotta Walls Lanier/Institutional Racism: Hallett Elementary Academy (https://hallett.dpsk12.org/) and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Arts-in-Education Academy (www.cleoparkerdance.org) Marie Phason/Public Safety: It Takes A Village/Phenomenal Women (http://www.ittakesavillagecolorado.org/programs/phenomenal.htm) Rhonda Jackson/Health Disparities: Lupus Colorado’s (www.lupuscolorado.org) Rhonda Fields/Political Engagement: Fields Wolfe Memorial Fund (http://www.fieldswolfememorialfund.org/) Rosalind J. Harris/Elder Abuse: The Ruth Boyd Elder Abuse Fund Tamara Banks/Event Emcee and Moderator: BE BRILLIANT Initiative (www.TamaraMBanks.com) Mary Louise Lee/First Lady of Denver: Bringing Back the Arts Foundation (www.facebook.com/bringingbacktheartsfoundation/)
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