An Op-Ed By: Senator James Coleman, Representative Leslie Herod, and Representative Naquetta Ricks
The State of Colorado has a rich and storied history in its nearly 150 years as a state.
Coloradans are – rightly – very proud to call our majestic state home. Everyday we feel honored to represent the innovative, diverse, inclusive and forward-thinking people of our districts.
However, not all Coloradans have had the same experiences throughout our state’s history – particularly Black Coloradans. Though Colorado was not a slave state, slavery was only fully abolished in the Colorado State Constitution in 2018. There is also a tragically deep history of prejudice and discrimination in our state. From the prevalence and strength of the Ku Klux Klan at all levels of government (a former mayor of Denver being a member as recently as 1947) to the “Sundown Towns” that dotted the state’s terrain, where Black Coloradans were not welcomed and even faced violence.
Our state has much to reckon with. In fact, as recently as April 2024, a sitting lawmaker refused to vote for a resolution in honor of Black History Month. We believe it’s time that we work to understand Colorado’s history of racial inequity and prejudice, and evaluate the ways in which it continues to reverberate into the present; specifically, the impacts it has had on Black Coloradans today. That’s why we are sponsoring Senate Bill 53 (SB24-053) to conduct a statewide racial equity study. This legislation will establish the Black Coloradan Racial Equity Study commission and facilitate research to investigate if and how state policies have led to past and current discrimination against Black Coloradans.
Our study in Colorado will specifically require the commission to explore the areas of K-12 education, higher education, workforce training, housing, criminal justice and policing, health care, tax policy and economic mobility. It will include status updates and reports, with recommendations based on the outcome of community engagement sessions and historical research. Once the study has been completed, the commission will publicize its findings and make policy recommendations to foster opportunities for healing and repair in our communities.
Colorado’s current reality reveals inequity in housing, education, healthcare and the criminal justice system:
- 50% of Black families qualify as low income throughout the state, with as low as 37% of the demographic considered middle class.
- Only 25% of Black Coloradans have obtained a higher education degree, certificate or credential; and while Black Coloradans make up approximately 5% of the state’s
population, they account for more than 23% of Coloradans experiencing homelessness. - According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Black maternal death rate is 2.9 times higher for Black women, and the infant mortality rate in Colorado is highest for Black babies.
- Nearly 65% of Colorado communities that were segregated through the discriminatory act of redlining in the 1930s are still primarily inhabited by people of color, and vulnerable to gentrification and displacement. We also know that a Black citizen is five times more likely to be stopped by police without just cause than a white person.
Without a thorough study examining the effects of past and present policies in Colorado, it’s difficult to quantify the extent of these disparities, their origin, how they might interact with or amplify each other, the long-term economic impacts, or how they might be addressed.
Countless other cities and states have conducted similar studies to investigate their policies and analyze the historical impact of localized systemic inequity. Racial justice studies have been nationally recognized as important tools that allow us as a society to quantify and qualify the impacts of past inequities and to make recommendations for better, more inclusive paths forward. But these types of studies are not just about Black Coloradans – they are about building stronger, more prosperous communities for everyone. In fact, studies show that working to reduce racial disparities could increase the national gross domestic product (GDP) from 4 to 6%, because we are stronger when everyone has an equal opportunity for success.
We know now more than ever that not everyone’s stories are told, and throughout history there has been a tragic tendency to shy away from reflecting on the more painful parts of our past. We live in a time where history – and Black history in particular – is being revised, distorted and even erased.
Now, in Colorado, we have the opportunity and responsibility to reverse that trend.
We are thrilled to have the support of countless faith, business, education, advocacy, health care and civil rights organizations from across the state for this legislation, as well as the support of the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus. As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Now is the time to make justice a reality to all of God’s children.” As a legislature, we must take action now, to shed light on our past so that we can build a brighter future.
Editor’s Note: SB24-053 has successfully made its way through the Colorado Senate. It will move through the House Appropriations Committee and the Legislative Council before heading to the Colorado House of Representatives floor for a final vote.
