February 2009 Archive

At last. At last. At last. Two very powerful words. And they could not have come (or be sung) at a more appropriate time than now as we celebrate Black History and the achievements and rich legacies of African Americans.

On Jan. 5, an alarming e-mail began to circulate across the state of Colorado. Penned by a young woman who identified herself as a high school student in Centennial named Ashley, this e-mail would invoke outrage, shock and disbelief among African Americans and others in Colorado.

In honor of its 10th anniversary of engaging Americans in art that celebrates diverse expressions of life and literature, this spring Café Nuba: Its Hot and Its Black will collaborate with Shadow Theatre who will serve as the organization’s new venue. Café Nuba will present a quarterly event hosting A-lists performers from every genre

The chance to live a dream, have independence and control over one’s own images, to bring cultures together, and be the...

President Barack Obama lists “Civil Rights” as the first item under his “Agenda” on his White House website, whitehouse.gov. He pledges to end gender and race based pay disparities, push through the Fair Pay and Employment Non-Discrimination Acts...

Denver’s second largest industry honors some of its top leaders at the Tourism Industry Hall of Fame dinner March 5, 2009, in the Colorado Convention Center’s Four Seasons Ballroom.

Mayor John Hickenlooper, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs the and Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs have announced the 2008 recipients of the Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts as Charles Burrell, Denver Young Artists Orchestra, Su Teatro and The Bloomsbury Review. The Mayor’s Cultural Legacy Award will go to Noël Congdon.

This column is the launch of a conversation on how the green economy, sustainability, environmentalism and social justice issues are inextricably linked. From food deserts to gentrification to land justice and global warming – the goal of Green Beats is to explore the movement and share ways to “get your green on” in the ‘hood.

Jim “Daddio” Walker was the force behind a musical transition in Denver’s radio scene, designed to unite the community in the ‘60s. A Saturday morning meeting between Walker and AM1510 owner Dave Segal led to a historic change in the station’s music format from Country Western to Rhythm & Blues and Soul. Walker became KDKO’s operations manager with a mission of creating unity within the African-American community and the community at-large through his mixture of talk radio, R&B and Soul music.

In the early ‘80s, Coors Brewing, now MillerCoors, rolled out the Black Heritage Series to eliminate widely-held misconceptions about the Coors brand. The Black Heritage Series contained a collection of powerful artwork which over the years evolved into the Heritage Calendar.

As an undergraduate majoring in American Studies at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, Juliana Richardson conducted research on the Harlem Renaissance. “I interviewed Butterfly McQueen and Lee Whopper among others,” she said. “Having access to these poignant life stories made the history really come alive for me,” she continued.

Coloradoans overwhelmingly voted for change in November and as we open the 111th Congress, our job is to deliver on that change. As the Dean of the Delegation, I look forward to working to stabilize our economy, reestablish cutting-edge research, ensure access to quality health care, and develop a comprehensive energy plan.

Each year during Black History Month, the Denver Urban Spectrum honors African Americans who are making a difference in the lives of others.

For the past two months, the Colorado newspapers and airwaves have been abuzz with tragedy after tragedy caused by carbon monoxide. A family of four from Denver won a weekend in Vail, went to bed in an $8.9 million home, and never woke up.

To a standing-room-only crowd of family, friends and well-wishers, Rep. Terrance Carroll was elected as Speaker of the House as outgoing and incoming leadership, representatives and members of the media looked on. His acceptance speech brought tears and laughter as he talked about his vision for the state of Colorado.

The Colorado Senate convened its 67th General Assembly on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Taking the gavel, Senate Pres. Peter C. Groff (D-Denver) welcomed new senators and spoke about goals for the next 119 days. generate solutions for Colorado.

Vusi Mahlasela, the iconic South African singer/songwriter, is referred to in his homeland with affection and pride as “The Voice,” not only for the pure, mellifluous quality of his extraordinary vocal gift, but because for many years – the dark, dreadful years of the Apartheid regime – he was a voice of his people.

In this season of historic firsts, Metro State is preparing to celebrate the life of one of Colorado’s pioneers, the late Rachel B. Noel, and to honor four of Colorado’s African American leaders.

In celebration of February’s Black History Month, Nordstrom will offer customers a new, exclusive CD entitled The Royal Blues – Celebrating the Queens of Blues and Jazz. The Nordstrom-exclusive CD will feature a handpicked compilation of songs recorded by iconic black female blues and jazz vocalists, both legendary and contemporary.

Who among us—especially those of my generation—ever dared believe that an American of African heritage would ascend to the highest office in the land in our lifetime? Barack Obama first appeared on the cover of BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine in October 2004 when he was running for the Senate next to the headline The Next Big Thing in Politics.

Nothing This Month – Check Back Again

Nothing This Month – Check Back Again

Real Men Cook Kicks Off 19th Annual Father's Day Celebration Chicago -- Real Men Cook, America's premiere urban Father's Day family tradition that pays tribute to the family, will be held in 11 cities on Father’s Day, June 15

Well, it’s finally here and none too soon to enjoy the many summer events happening in the Mile High City.

Family Member Gives A Proud Wink For Lodge...

Warts-And-All Bio-Pic Recounts Rise And Fall Of Biggie Smalls

Gangsta Documentary Graphically Recounts History Of L.A. Turf War

Michelle Obama: Meet the First Lady, designed with the 8 to 12 year-old demographic in mind, wins the race in terms of adolescents, and does a decent job in covering considerable ground in about 100 pages.

Obama Bio-Pic Recounts Rise To The Presidency

In Wellington Webb: The Man, the Mayor, and the Making of Modern Denver, the popular Democrat recounts his administration’s considerable accomplishmentsincluding the opening of Denver International Airport and the development of the Central Platte River Valley into a thriving community.

A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn is an excellent alternative to that conventional claptrap. However, Zinn’s politically-correct encyclopedia is almost 800 pages in length and thus not exactly easy reading.

Nothing This Month – Check Back Again

Marriage Vows Tested in Faith-Based Drama from Bishop T.D. Jakes

Welcome to the new America. I’m not talking about a blue America or a red America. I’m talking about a 21st century America – a nation of many colors, cultures and faiths. Barack Obama’s election as the first African-American president symbolizes what we have known for some time, but often fail to acknowledge: The United States has become one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse societies on Earth...

The holiday season is here again. But amidst the hustle and bustle of gift-giving and family get-togethers, seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D should carve out time to consider whether they want to stay with their current prescription drug plan...

Nov. 5, 2008 Dear Brother Obama, You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us.You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear...

Nothing This Month – Check Back Again

More than 250,000 people gathered at Chicago's Grant Park along the Lake Michigan shoreline to celebrate the victory of Barack Obama. Following are remarks by President-Elect Barack Obama, Nov. 4, 2008, Chicago, IL...