DENVER — Colorado historian Terri Gentry is dedicated to sharing stories of Black history in Colorado, and her own family has been part of shaping that history.
Gentry's great-grandfather, Dr. Thomas Ernest McClain, was the first licensed Black dentist in Colorado, opening his dental practice here in February 1907. Her father, retired Denver Police Department Division Chief C.T. Smith, was recently inducted into the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame.
In an interview with 9NEWS, Gentry shared a few more examples of Black leaders in Colorado's history.
George Morrison was a classically trained concert violinist. From extensive touring to starting his own band, the George Morrison Jazz Orchestra, he enjoyed an accomplished musical career, according to a Denver Public Library history.
In addition to playing in and managing several groups, Morrison mentored musicians and was soon known as “The Professor.” Several Denver musicians who were part of Morrison's groups eventually became successful entertainers themselves.
Lt. Gov. George Brown was the first African American to hold statewide office in Colorado, according to a Denver Public Library biography.
He was a reporter and editor for The Denver Post before he entered politics, being elected to the Colorado House of Representatives and then the Colorado Senate. He continued working for The Denver Post, covering the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s.
Rachel Noel was the first Black woman on the Denver Public Schools Board of Education. Elected in 1965, she served a serve a single six-year term, effecting extraordinary change in Denver and its schools.
In April 1968, Noel proposed a resolution to create a plan for the comprehensive integration of Denver Public Schools. The "Noel Resolution" was hotly debated, but it passed.
After elections replaced two board members who had supported the resolution, the board moved to rescind its call for comprehensive integration. Wilfred C. Keyes and seven other African Americans sued, and the case, ultimately heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, led to a court-ordered integration of Denver schools and busing of students.
For people interested in learning more about Black history in Colorado, Gentry recommends these resources:
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