History Colorado to survey Green Book sites to amplify Black voices
History Colorado is beginning a new survey of travel and investigation of local green book sites. These sites were critical for the survival of thousands of Black Americans in an era of segregation and hate crimes. Now, stories of such sites will continue to be amplified.
History Colorado's Chief Preservation Officer and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Patrick Eidman first stopped into CBS News Colorado to discuss the project, which was funded by a new grant in January.
On Tuesday, CBS News Colorado's Mekialaya White had a conversation with History Colorado's Engagement Manager for Black Communities Terri Gentry to outline the latest updates. The project is moving forward, with a statewide survey to nominate Green Book sites to State and National Registers of Historic Places.
"We have an Underrepresented Community Grant that we're using to document the sites. So, you can go down to Pueblo, Colorado and find a place that's registered. They were safe spaces for our family members and community members when they were traveling around the state," explained Gentry.
"This is offering a perspective on history that a lot of folks aren't aware of. It helps to understand part of that story with travel and some of the experiences that we had. We wanted to get out and explore the country. We wanted to get out and take advantage of all that the country had to offer. The Greek Book sites offered that," she said.
Gentry has deep roots in Colorado, so this is a passion project for her. "To honor my own family and the experiences that I had as a child. And traveling with both sets of grandparents and experiences that we had. And the experiences that I've learned that my grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents had. I want to celebrate who they are and showcase the work that they've done to make our community place and space."
One-hundred sixty sites have been recognized throughout the state. History Colorado is currently holding a series of community meetings along the I-25 corridor to gather input from the local community and create a list of more important historic resources to be researched.
The next community engagement is meeting at the El Pueblo History Museum on November 15 from 5 - 7 p.m. The public is invited to ask questions and provide feedback about this project, as well as share sites that they know have an important connection to this history.