Documentary captures 1960s visits to Denver and Littleton by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
As the nation prepares to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr on Monday, Coloradans are recalling Dr. King's time in our state.
The documentary "When a King Came to Town" focuses on the civil rights leader's visits to Denver, and to Littleton, in the 1960s.
Documentarian Adam Morgan Dempsey says his research into MLK's visits to Colorado happened by accident.
When studying the history of African Americans in Denver, people kept talking to him about Dr. King's time here.
"But then they said they went to Littleton. Why did he go to Littleton? You know, let's go find out why," said Dempsey. "I started
to track back and started to find these connections as to answering that question, and that became the story."
The documentary, completed in 2005, captures Dr. King's 1964 visit to churches in Park Hill: Macedonia Baptist Church - which received a bomb threat that day.
And to Montview Presbyterian.
King inspired people like Rachel Noel who'd later lead efforts to integrate Denver schools.
"He was just speaking to many things, but seemed to be speaking to me," Noel says in the film.
The community of Littleton invited King to visit Grace Presbyterian Church.
"I think people were in awe of this person. It was quiet because everyone was expecting to hear this wonderful person speak to us. To us special," said Bobbi Harms of Grace Presbyterian Church in the film.
"We are struggling in the final analysis to save the soul of this nation," Dr. King told the people assembled in Littleton in 1964.
King urged the Littleton community to create fair housing policies.
And found an ally in Ellie Greenberg who recalled driving Dr. King from Denver to Littleton.
Dempsey recalled his conversation with Greenberg, "And she said Dr. King and two of his assistants were in the backseat of their car.
You try driving your car to Littleton with Martin Luther King in the backseat."
Dr. King returned to Denver in 1967, losing supporters by voicing opposition to the Vietnam War.
When he was assassinated in 1968, the loss felt personal to many Coloradans.
"The stunning and tragic death of Reverend Martin Luther King is but the latest episode in the tragedy of a national conflict in America," said Denver Mayor Thomas Currigan in a clip from 1968.
The film's narrator, former Colorado State Senator Regis Groff describes, "Almost unnoticed was a well-attended candlelight vigil and silent march just north of Littleton, from Loretto Heights to the Cinderella City Shopping Center in Englewood."
"At which Dr. King was remembered not only for his national role, his worldwide role, but recalling that he had been here and as a result we were tied to him in a special way," said Garrett Ray, then Editor of Littleton Independent.
Adam Dempsey says Colorado is a special place, it's carried forward King's dream, though there's still work to do.
"He would have continued to take the actions necessary to make a better America and better individual communities along the way," Dempsey concludes.
History Colorado will host a free screening of the documentary "When a King Came to Town" Thursday January 16 at 6:30pm.
Find out more here: https://www.historycolorado.org/node/56634#event=when-a-king-came-to-town-film-screening-and-discussion;instance=20250116183000?popup=1&lang=en-US