History is a lifelong vocation for Nicki Gonzales, Colorado's first Latina state historian. The Regis University professor says it is not just a professional calling, though. She has weaved together the threads of history to inform her own identity and honor her family’s legacy.
"When I was state historian, I would dedicate my presentations and my activities to my paternal grandmother, who I never met, but who was a single, mother of three boys here in Denver,” Gonzales said. “Her family, they were miners and they worked in the agricultural fields of Northern Colorado, Boulder County. And I think the most satisfying thing has been being able to honor my family's history."
Gonzales’s work has helped to provide us with a fuller picture of Colorado’s cultural landscape, uncovering state history and acknowledging its sometimes problematic details. She will give remarks at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at History Colorado during the unveiling of a new curriculum for K-12 students focused on Denver's Chicano movement.
Gonzales joined In The NoCo's Erin O'Toole to reflect on her search for identity and deeper meaning, starting with her own family history.
This is an encore episode from Sep. 22, 2023.
