“This is just the beginning, and it's going to continue to expand and explore every corner, every story in Colorado,” she said. “We want to share that and celebrate that with everyone here.”
A new smartphone app launching this week is making it easier for Colorado residents to learn more about the state’s Black history.
The Black History Trail app from History Colorado showcases Black pioneers, including Barney Ford. He escaped slavery and went on to champion civil rights.
It will also introduce many residents to places like Dearfield, a ghost town near Greeley that used to be a thriving Black settlement.
Terri Gentry, the engagement manager for Black History at History Colorado, said the stories included in the app will inspire future generations.
“They need to understand where they come from and the experiences of the folks before them so that they know they have what it takes to move forward and live their lives,” she said. “The impact is immeasurable. There's so much history here in Colorado that most folks don't know exists.”
She said that includes the story of the Green Book.
Facing discrimination and segregation, Black Americans used the book to find welcoming places while driving across the country as early as the 1930s.
Gentry said the Green Book included several stops in Colorado, including the Coronado Hotel in Pueblo.
The hotel earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in part because it welcomed Black travelers.
Gentry said the new app has many examples of the resilience and the incredible innovation of Black Coloradans. She says it will be updated in the coming months to include more stories.
