Denver, CO
Black youths in Fort Collins, Denver among those targeted by racist post-election texts
Black Coloradans report they are among the targets of a national pattern of insulting, racist text messages that sometimes refer to recipients by name and order them to “pick cotton” on a plantation.
The author or authors of the messages were still unknown as of Thursday, according to reporting by the Associated Press, though the messages claimed to have been sent on behalf of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.
In many cases, the victims have been young adults and children. On Wednesday night, two Fort Collins girls, ages 14 and 16, received messages telling both that they would soon be forced to pick cotton, describing them as “hoodlums” and “negros.”
Their mother, Monique Mance, said she felt disgusted and fearful after reading the messages, which included the 16-year-old’s name and referred to the 14-year-old using a misogynistic slur.
“I feel hurt, because I don’t feel this is what Fort Collins is,” Mance said. “People here are beautiful, and friendly, and nice, and I’ve never had to deal with this. … It was tough to explain this to my daughters. Like, I don’t even want them to walk home from school now.”
She said the incident reminded her of racist abuse endured by Black people of her grandparents’ generation.
“It’s like, really? We’re going back to this?” she said.
Denver Public Schools spokesman Scott Pribble said similar messages were reported to police in at least one Denver high school, and Denver police said they were investigating two incidents where individuals received such messages.
The texts have also spurred inquiries by federal officials, with the Associated Press reporting Thursday that the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice were looking into the matter, as was the Federal Communications Commission. Black residents of New York, Alabama, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee have also been targeted.
Vikki Migoya, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Denver field office, confirmed the FBI is partnering with other federal agencies in response to tips about the messages.
“The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country, including in Colorado,” she wrote in an email Friday. “As always, we encourage members of the public to report threats of physical violence to local law enforcement authorities.”
The Colorado Attorney General’s Office has also been informed about the messages, though spokesman Lawrence Pacheco said they could not comment on the status of any investigation or complaints.
While it is unclear whether the person or people responsible committed a crime or unlawfully obtained the personal information used to tailor messages for their recipients, the texts have spread fear at a time of heightened political tensions following a presidential election that hinged on issues of immigration and race.
Omar Montgomery, president of the Aurora branch of the NAACP, said he hasn’t heard from anyone in Denver’s sister city who has received the texts. However, he said a thorough investigation by federal law enforcement was crucial in light of the national political climate.
“When we talk about the racial overtones of this election and where the country is at now where people feel emboldened to share things that target specific groups, we’ve got to hit the reset button, regardless of who’s in office, or else these things are going to continue to divide our nation,” he said.
Montgomery also said his branch of the NAACP remains concerned about the mass deportations promised by Trump, nicknamed Operation Aurora by the president-elect’s campaign. He said the NAACP plans to monitor the treatment of Aurora residents who may be subject to deportation.
“Obviously, we’re concerned about people’s civil rights being protected,” he said.
Mance said she hopes there is at least a bipartisan consensus that targeting children with hateful rhetoric is unacceptable.
“I understand we don’t all agree on things, but leave my kids alone,” she said.
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April will be the premier month for jazz in Denver and Boulder, due to the arrival of the Denver Jazz Fest. Kicking off April 3 and running through April 6, some of the area’s best-sounding venues will open their doors to present internationally known artists and local jazz luminaries.
Performers include saxophonist Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet, guitarist Bill Frisell, multi-Grammy winner and Denverite Dianne Reeves, who is unquestionably one of the most accomplished living singers, pianist Omar Sosa, saxophonist Charles McPherson teaming up with trumpeter Terell Stafford, vocalist Ganavya, Boulder-based piano legend Art Lande, emerging and incendiary saxophonist Isaiah Collier, the funk-drenched Ghost Note, The Headhunters and more.
There will be 30 shows total.
It’s encouraging to see the involvement of so many venues in Denver and Boulder, from Nocturne to the Newman Center, presenting such heartfelt music. This will be the first Denver Jazz Fest, and hopefully an annual Colorado tradition will be established. It’s time for the world to be reminded of our extraordinary musical history. Everything you need to know is at denverjazz.org.
Record Store Day
“You can never have enough records” is a statement I embrace. Luckily, Record Store Day is Saturday, April 12. That means your favorite local retailer will amass a stash of limited-edition vinyl for you to grasp excitedly. The archival jazz crop this time around is excellent: there are recently-unearthed live dates from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (“On Fire – Live From The Blue Morocco”,) bassist Charles Mingus (“In Argentina – The Buenos Aires Concerts”,) and trumpet king Kenny Dorham (“Blue Bossa In The Bronx”) which is of particular interest, because there really isn’t a lot of Kenny Dorham music around in physical form.
There’s also an exhilarating four-hour vinyl box from big bandleader and keyboardist Sun Ra, “Nuits de la Fondation Maeght,” which includes a generous amount of previously unreleased sounds of joy from the summer of 1970. It’s as noisy as it is delightful. Locations and the definitive list are at recordstoreday.com. I hope you get what you want.
Guitarist Dave Devine will perform music associated with guitar hero Grant Green at Nocturne March 30, along with a six-course dinner…The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra presents a tribute to Quincy Jones at Dazzle March 31…The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band will perform at DU’s Newman Center April 8…The Mike Marlier Quartet honors Chick Corea at Nocturne on April 9…the gifted saxophonist Miguel Zenon brings his quartet to Dazzle April 14…saxophonist-vocalist Brianna Harris performs “The Modern Songbook” at Nocturne Saturdays in April…NEA Jazz Master-saxophonist Gary Bartz, who has worked with legends from Art Blakey to Miles Davis, will take to the Dazzle stage May 1-2. Bartz is living history, and he doesn’t appear in Colorado very often…Victor Wooten and the Wooten Brothers appear at the Boulder Theater May 3…
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Even with all of the records that Nikola Jokic already holds in the NBA, he somehow still finds a way to mesmerize fans every game.
As the Denver Nuggets faced off against the Utah Jazz on Friday night, Jokic did the unbelievable and hit a near full-court buzzer-beater in a moment that left fans shocked.
Most importantly for Jokic and the Nuggets, they came out with a win against the Utah Jazz.
NIKOLA JOKIC IS INSANE. 🤯🤯🤯
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 29, 2025
After the game, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone gave his thoughts on Jokic’s impressive accomplishment.
“I don’t know if this still holds true and maybe you guys would know but, somebody told me if Nikola Jokic didn’t shoot those desperation heaves, he would be leading the league in three-point shooting,” Malone said. “If you took all of those out, and what you love about him is he does not care. He shoots the ball because he believes that they are all going in.”
“And when I asked him about it after the game when it left your hands did you think it was going to go in? And he told me actually it did, the way it came out and we all know that we have got spoiled watching him with the touch that he has,” Malone said. “His shot-making ability that he has is just incredible. That put us up by ten at the half. But Nikola can find ways to impress which is very hard to do when a player with as many accomplishments that he has.”
To a degree, NBA fans truly have become spoiled watching Nikola Jokic play basketball. Game after game, he’s found a new Wilt Chamberlain-esque record ot break and continues to hit half-court shots with ease.
Nikola Jokic is in a rarefied type of air, one where he could easily be winning NBA MVPs every year, but he doesn’t, solely due to voter fatigue.
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