“The recreation center in Globeville also bears the name, and we are looking into changing it. The leadership in these changes has come from the late Dr. Diggs and youth at DSST Stapleton now DSST Montview. The city should follow the lead of our next generation of leaders/residents and a Critical Race Theory expert. If Denver aspires to truly be a city intolerant of hate, then we should not continue to memorialize or honor known perpetrators of hate. I personally support a name change and would hope a new name could honor the indigenous legacy of the land.”

“I believe that the most important voices in any conversation about the present day impact of historical names/monuments must be the community that has experienced/is still experiencing the legacy of oppression invoked by the history. To the extent Denver’s African American residents still experience institutional oppression that continues to flow from systems that were created with the brutal help of the Klan, I believe it is our responsibility to hear their concerns and give them the greatest weight. Where these voices identify changes that are within our power to make to remove symbols of oppression, and where we can do so through a robust and reflective community conversation that educates and raises awareness of how the name is linked to oppression, it is appropriate to make those changes. In addition to my role as a city-wide Councilperson, I’m a resident of Northeast Park Hill who also has good friends and daily life activities that often take me to Stapleton, and in both roles I’m acutely aware of the “Quebec divide” in spite of strong commitments to inclusivity and diversity from residents on both sides of the line. Systems can be more powerful than individual intentions. A name change alone cannot eliminate that divide, but it is my hope that the dialogue created around this name change can create stronger connections and strategies among African Americans and white residents in both neighborhoods and beyond, that advance us toward fuller integration and equality. Then we will truly have overcome the legacy of the Stapleton-Klan connection.”

“I will support the community’s efforts to make this change. I haven’t followed the process to know if this will require any action by City Council or not.”

“I don’t know how the referendum on renaming the Stapleton neighborhood is going to come out, but I do know the following. The Stapleton neighborhood residents are better than the name of the neighborhood name where they live. Abraham Lincoln once said: ‘Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We, of this Congress and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation.
“We can never erase the fact that Benjamin Stapleton was elected mayor of Denver and served a total of 20 years, which history has recorded. However, we should no longer honor a man who also was a member of #1128 of the Ku Klux Klan. Stapleton, who served two stints as mayor from 1923-1931 and 1935-1947, appointed Klansmen to positions of power, including the chief of police. Klan members in Denver and nationally used political power to control and terrorize black people, Jews, Catholics, and other ethnic groups.
“In 2019, we cannot diminish the impact of the KKK or disregard the history. In today’s society, we have to take a stand on where we stand.
“The new corporation that bought Forest City and administers and the Stapleton Neighborhood Association should not think this issue will go away, even if the vote is to keep the Stapleton name. I obviously hope the vote is to let the neighborhood change the name, like residents living in Cherry Hills Village renamed Swastika Acres earlier this year.
“The argument of well if we change this then we have to change the names of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson because they owned slaves is a facetious argument. Being a slave owner in the 1700s is not the same as the KKK promoting racism for more than a century.
“A little known fact is that the KKK was founded in 1865 in Pulaski, Tennessee. That town was named to honor the Polish-born American Revolutionary War hero Kazimierz Pułaski.Pulaski was Catholic and would have been a target of the KKK.
“For decades, Denver has ignored one of its mayors was a KKK member. We have to face reality and make a change. In 2019 we can’t honor any person who is associated with hate and bigotry.”

“Yes, the name should be changed, and more importantly there should be a change in how people are living!”

“I support the name change. At one point, I offered to help find funding to change the signage.”

“Deserai and I support a name change. Our family lived in this neighborhood for 11 years. We know it to be accepting and inclusive, which is one of the reasons we choose to raise our family here; however, if that isn’t the case for all of our neighbors, we must work to change that. For us, the decision to vote to rename Stapleton came down to voting to make sure everyone knows that they are welcome here.”

“If I were a Stapleton resident, I would vote to change the name to reflect the strong, vibrant and diverse community that I live in.”

“Names matter. I don’t believe a Denver neighborhood should be named after a member of the KKK. We live in communities with one another and have laws and processes to address these challenges. The appropriate solution should be determined by people who live and work in the neighborhood.”

“I support this community led effort to rename St*pleton, because we are a city that moves forward and embraces our diversity. We are a city that doesn’t tolerate hate, so we must be a city that leads and sends a message that we don’t celebrate leaders who worked to oppress people of color.”

“Change the name!!!! The KKK burned a cross in front of my home.”

“I support changing the name. My family left the south with a pistol in hand in opposition to the KKK.”

“Change the damn name!”

“When BLM5280 started the 2015 campaign to #ChangeTheNameStapleton, it was out of a desire for community healing. We aren’t always given the opportunity to right wrongs- to be better. But renaming St*pleton is a chance for our neighbors to show that they have heard the communities calling out for an end to hatred in its many forms. With this vote, our St*pleton neighbors can say, once and for all, that the horrific legacy of the KKK has no place here.”

“The NAACP State Conference supports a new name, and a new reality, for the community of ‘Stapleton.’ There is a movement nationwide to unname public markers that harken back to a xenophobic and oppressive history. Now is the time for Denver to be part of that movement. Renaming ‘Stapleton’ would refresh public memory and support efforts to move forward a reality where all people have equitable access to opportunity. This is not about dismissing the cries of preservationists, but rather about dismissing the specter of White supremacy. A new name would be consistent with the NAACP’s purpose. And, it would be a game changer for social justice. In tandem with changing a name, we must also work to change the policies that keep people trapped in a KKK reality.”

“In a state that voted for Amendment A to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude in all circumstances, we should also remove the symbols of oppression and racial bias that still haunt and harm our state. Given the legacy of the Stapleton name, changing the name to something more inclusive would serve our community and the state of Colorado well.”

The Brave Coalition Supports Community Name Change
#bebraveblog, #braveposition, #speakup
The following is Brave’s official position statement concerning the name of our Northeast Denver community.

“The Brave Coalition is a Northeast Denver-based non-profit formed by women in the community following a hate graffiti incident at Isabella Bird Community School in 2016. Our mission is to build more inclusive communities where all people can live their fullest lives regardless of identity or circumstance.

“According to History Colorado, former mayor Benjamin Stapleton was a high-ranking KKK member who used his position to promote Klan interests during his time in office (1923-31 and 1935-47). Contrary to popular reports, there is no documentation of him recanting his membership or white supremacist views. Nevertheless, when the time came to turn the airport named to honor Stapleton into a neighborhood, the Stapleton name was carried over.

“The Brave Coalition supports changing the name of this community as an important step to making our neighborhood a welcoming, diverse, and safe place for all. Here’s why:

“History matters and impacts the present. We believe that this issue should be viewed in its context: our city’s history of systemic racism, antisemitism, and homophobia designed to exclude certain people from the most “desirable” neighborhoods. From outright bans, to discriminatory loan programs, to more subtle messages, let’s end the cycle of unwelcome. This is as important now as ever, as incidents of hate are still prevalent in Denver.

“Symbols matter and impact hearts and minds. A name change is not equity or inclusiveness, and it should not be a substitute for those goals. But symbols do help to build the environment in which we decide who will be valued, heard, and honored. The environment in which we decide who “we” are. We love our community, and we agree with many community members that the name should reflect our positive vision for the future.

“People matter. We believe those who say that they are harmed by the Stapleton name, and that the community should come together and take the steps necessary to end that harm. As the proverb goes, while the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the next best time is right now. Moreover, the claimed financial sacrifice is not at all clear and shouldn’t deter people from choosing to re-name our community. While property owners are being asked to vote to pay for a name change, the truth is no one has outlined what the public costs would be, how those costs would be allocated, and why they would have to be incurred all at once.

“Recognizing that not everyone will agree with our position, we believe all can agree that property owners should be aware of the process and vote on the issue. Developers like Forest City have a powerful role in our neighborhood community association (MCA) voting, as they also pay into the MCA. However, they have commercial incentives to oppose a name change and they are not long-term community members. We shouldn’t stand on the side while decisions are made about where we live.”

“Official NE Denver Neighbors for Racial Justice Statement on #ChangeTheNameStapleton

Mission
We are inclusive NE Denver neighbors who are passionate about racial and economic justice, working in our immediate community while forming alliances within the Denver, Colorado, national, and international Black Lives Matter activist network. We are open to personal growth and accountability as we dismantle the structures of white supremacy. We strive to compassionately allow each other to make mistakes; unified in our intentions and our actions to create a safer and more loving and just community.

#ChangeTheNameStapleton
NE Denver Neighbors for Racial Justice was founded to unify neighborhoods in northeast Denver. We focus on local issues and welcome members regardless of where they reside, because our issues are often not unique. The group was started, largely, by members who reside in the neighborhood located at the site of the former Stapleton Airport.

Mayor Stapleton was not only a member of the Ku Klux Klan, but he served as a major supporter. Between the 1920s and 1950s, the Klan boasted many members who controlled both houses of the Colorado State Legislature, and Governor Clarence Morley was also a member. Indeed, we understand that the Klan enjoyed control of the Office of State, the Supreme Court of Colorado and seven judicial seats on the District Court of Denver. As mayor, Stapleton was a central figure in the Klan’s domination of our Colorado institutions. He appointed many members to prominent positions in our local government, including the Chief of Police. It is reported that Stapleton discontinued his membership in the Klan when it became politically expedient to do so, but there is no record of him directly denouncing the Klan, nor is he known for actively working to reverse the damage done to our government institutions during the Klan era in Denver. Mayor Stapleton’s political opportunism and avoidance of personal responsibility with regard to issues of racial justice are not qualities that deserve the honor of having a neighborhood named after him.

Given this history, we, the NE Denver Neighbors for Racial Justice, are releasing our official statement regarding the #ChangeTheNameStapleton initiative. There is a movement throughout the United States in which symbols of hatred and oppression are being removed from places of stature; #ChangeTheNameStapleton is a proud part of this movement. We are focusing our efforts to influence the Stapleton United Neighbors (SUN) Board, Forest City, and Mayor Hancock. It is our hope that this movement will continue to gain momentum in Denver and that these stakeholders will come to see dropping the name as a positive step forward, and that local businesses and organizations will follow.

In 2015, Forest City VP Tom Gleason responded with the following email message to a Front Porch request for Forest City’s perspective on the Black Lives Matter flyers: “Forest City and the Stapleton Development Corporation have agreed over the years that the Stapleton name would be used in a limited role as a ‘locator’ (given that it was nationally and internationally known as Denver’s airport for many decades) while we built the inclusive and diverse community envisioned by the citizens of Denver, Aurora and Commerce City who created The Green Book. Over that period of time, we have built eight new neighborhoods on the former airport along with new schools, parks and retail centers—all with new names and without the name of the former airport.”* This statement disingenuously implies that the Stapleton name is being phased out; however, the exact opposite has occurred. As the years go by, while parks, pools, etc. have been given names other than Stapleton, Forest City continues to use “Stapleton” as their brand and in their marketing. The longer we as a community use this name, the more businesses and public spaces will adopt it, and the more entrenched it will become. To date, since the first residents moved into the Stapleton neighborhood, 140+ businesses have adopted his name.

As a first step, we request that the SUN Board to remove this name from their organization. SUN is the registered neighborhood organization for the area located at the site of the former Stapleton Airport, and it is comprised of volunteers who discuss key issues with residents, represent their interests, engage in proactive problem-solving, and organize neighborhood-building activities. We appreciate that our neighbors are volunteering their time and believe their intentions to be genuinely good. However, after years of inaction related to this issue, we will not back down until the Stapleton name is removed from the organization that represents the neighborhood where many of us reside. If we do not, they are making us complicit in honoring a white supremacist. We offer them our support in removing the name.

We also request that Mayor Michael Hancock remove the name Stapleton from the city streets— Stapleton Drive North and Stapleton Drive South—and that he remove the name Stapleton from the city’s Stapleton Recreation Center.

At a SUN meeting in 2015, a Jewish resident shared memories of the KKK marching down his street on the sabbath. More recently, we heard from a Denver resident whose grandfather was forced to relocate outside of Denver, due to death threats received from the KKK. These incidents took place during the term of Mayor Stapleton. This is not mere history. This is still living memory. Willful avoidance of or indifference to this issue is tacit approval for the symbolic violence inherent in the continued use of this name. It is time to do the right thing. It is time to move forward and to truly begin building the “inclusive and diverse” neighborhood promised by the Green Book. All Denver residents are called to join us in this effort.”

“The Stapleton Asian CommuniTEA [Facebook group] was created to foster community and friendship among the Asian women of Stapleton in 2015. It has grown into a vibrant, caring and supportive group of women. The group has enriched our lives and has given us all a feeling of belonging within our neighborhood.

“During this time, we’ve listened to the voices of those in our group as well as the surrounding community who object to the name “Stapleton” for our neighborhood. We’ve come to learn that our community takes its name from the airport that was named after Benjamin Stapleton, Denver’s former mayor who was a prominent member of the Ku Klux Klan. He used his position to elevate the KKK’s power and agenda by enacting racist policies and appointing fellow Klansmen throughout his administration. He allowed the Klan to persecute Catholics, Jews, and people of color with cross burnings, mobs, and bombings. He never expressed regret nor made amends for the unabated reign of terror during this period of his life.

“Ben Stapleton’s legacy of hate does not represent our community, and we refuse to support the continued use of Stapleton’s name in a place of honor. To continue to use the name Stapleton in our group’s name would be to ignore and marginalize the many voices and groups who vehemently opposed naming our neighborhood Stapleton long before homes were built in the neighborhood, as well as those who feel pain and exclusion when they see and hear the name today – including many of our own members.

“The myth of the model minority has been used against other people of color, served to divide people of color, and marginalize the real needs of Asian people. We reject that social construct and stand in solidarity with all who are oppressed by systemic racism. We see our group’s name change as a gesture of anti-racism and urge others who are eligible to vote in the neighborhood name change to vote YES for renaming our neighborhood.

“We are currently voting on a new name for our group, and we look forward to coming together around a name that we can all feel pride in!”