February 17: Utopian Rhythms, Interracial Blues:  Popular Music, Civil Rights and 1968

Lecture:  1:00 & 7:00 p.m.

Music illuminated visions of a better world -- and the challenges of creating true change -- during the Civil Rights Movement and the political upheaval of the '60s.  From Motown to LA's Brown Eyed Soul scene and beyond, music reveals the limits and possibilities of seemingly disparate places and struggles.  Luis Alvarez of the University of California/San Di9ego weaves stories of pop music, race and 1968 with a soundtrack that maps the era's politics as simultaneously global and rooted in the everyday lives of ordinary folk.

February 18:  Naturalization Ceremony

Event: 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Colorado immigrants take the Oath of Allegiance to become US citizens on February 18 at the History Colorado Center during a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization ceremony.  This is the third naturalization ceremony that History Colorado has hosted.  Visitors are invited to watch.

February 19:  The Legend of Lead Belly

Film Screening:  6:00-8:00 p.m.

Lead Belly's songs have been covered by musical greats from Led Zeppelin and Frank Sinatra to Van Morrison and Nirvana.  His story is compelling and varied.  He was imprisoned for murdering a relative over a woman and later imprisoned again for attempted homicide.  But in spite of this, his extraordinary and powerful compositions and guitar playing brought him to the attention of a vast national and international audience. Legend of Lead Belly takes us on a journey from the cotton fields and prisons of the south to the studios and salons of New York, identifying key moments in Lead Belly’s life and unwrapping the issues he wrote and sang about – poverty, ignorance, racism, love and the survival of the Human spirit – issues that are still very much at the center of many lives today.

February 23:  Hard Lessons on Love, War & Racism

Film Screening:  Life, Liberty & Resilience

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Joseph “Joe” LaNier grew up in rural Mississippi, steeped in segregation that was so prevalent preceding World War II.  Though exposed to a time of hate and injustice – at a level almost unimaginable today – it did not daunt his desire for what was good and true. At just 17 he joined the segregated U.S. Navy and became one of the first African American Navy Seabees, shipping out to Iwo Jima in early 1945.  It was an experience that changed him in so many ways, solidifying his hope for a better life.   LaNier ended up in Denver for the latter part of his life.  His story is one of resilience, hope and love, regardless of injustice.   Take this journey and learn from a man who found within an ability to face adversity with amazing resilience and a will to fight for life and liberty on behalf of the United States of America.  Join us for an evening with the film’s producer and Colorado’s Morning News anchor, 850KOA Steffan Tubbs.  He will present a lecture after the screening and personally sign his book based on Joe LaNier’s journey, Life, Liberty & Resilience.   Tubbs hosts the community affairs program “Studio 12” on Colorado Public Television and is a four-time winner of the Edward R. Murrow award for national reporting.  He also is a proud supporter of our military and was an embedded reporter twice in Iraq in 2006 and 2010.

We also have in our core exhibits, the story of Lincoln Hills.  We will be doing more with this throughout February.  Here's a bit of information for you:

Mountain Haven (Lincoln Hills)

Ongoing Exhibit at History Colorado

Coloradans love the outdoors.  But African Americans were once barred from leisure opportunities most whites took for granted.  Lincoln Hills was a Rocky Mountain haven where African Americans could hike, fish, and camp – and leave discrimination behind.

Opened in 1922 by black entrepreneurs from Denver’s Five Points neighborhood, Lincoln Hills was an oasis in a segregated society – the biggest resort west of the Mississippi built by and for African Americans.  People from across the country came to Lincoln Hills to camp, stay in Wink’s Lodge or buy a lot and build a cabin.  Here amid the splendor of the Rockies, African Americans enjoyed the openness and freedom denied them almost everywhere else.

While Americans took to the road in the 1920s and ‘30s, black travelers had trouble finding hotels and restaurants that would serve them.  In 1936 the first Negro Motorist Book appeared, listing places that welcomed African American tourists.  Lincoln Hills and its hotel, Wink’s Lodge, ranked among the most popular black-friendly destinations in the country.  Billed as “a national gathering place for the colored race during the summer months” the resort played host to writer Langston Hughes, bandleader Count Basie, and other prominent African Americans.

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History Colorado's mission is to inspire generations to find wonder and meaning in our past and to engage in creating a better Colorado. We serve as the state's memory, preserving the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through our museums, educational programs, historic preservation grants, research library, collections, and outreach to Colorado communities. Find History Colorado on all major social media platforms. Visit HistoryColorado.org or call (303) HISTORY for more information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Deborah Radman
deborah.radman@state.co.us
303-866-3670 (direct)