Denver’s Historic 5 Factors and Curtis Park neighborhoods have a wealthy historical past of being dwelling to many alternative sorts of individuals. Now, a brand new interactive mapping challenge and exhibition is telling the story of 1 group of those People.
Denver skilled a increase in Japanese tradition and companies after World Conflict II and the closure of Colorado’s internment camps, which imprisoned over 10,000 folks of Japanese descent. Right this moment, in Denver’s 5 Factors neighborhood, an interactive story-sharing, web-based app takes guests again in time for a singular neighborhood tour of what that point was like.
The challenge — titled Tales of Solidarity: Japanese People in 5 Factors — is a collaboration between the Japanese Arts Community, Mile Excessive Japanese American Residents League, and is supported by Arts in Society, however for creator Courtney Ozaki it is private.
“This challenge got here out of an curiosity in my private household historical past. My mother and father grew up within the 5 factors neighborhood,” Ozaki stated. “Either side of my household ended up in 5 factors following World Conflict II and the closing of the Japanese incarceration camps that they had been dwelling in for quite a few years.”
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Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteCourtney Ozaki’s grandparents and father (backside proper) in a historic picture on show within the Tales of Solidarity exhibit on the historic Savoy in 5 Factors. July 9, 2022.Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteCourtney Ozaki exhibits a map of the strolling tour for Tales of Solidarity. July 9, 2022.
Many Japanese People resettled within the 5 Factors neighborhood, each throughout and following World Conflict II, as a result of then Colorado governor Ralph Carr had the unusual stance that incarceration of Japanese People was unconstitutional.
Ozaki says the challenge explores the convergence of the African American, Latinx, and Japanese American communities.
“By way of that, we had been capable of determine actually inspiring tales of lovely moments of neighborhood coming collectively and people particular locations the place these tales occurred have ended up being websites of curiosity on the tour,” Ozaki stated.
The challenge consists of oral histories from neighborhood elders nonetheless dwelling within the space.
Richard Yoshida grew up within the neighborhood and attended Handbook Excessive Faculty. He recollects how neighbors discovered a method to be … neighbors.
“My grandmother would return within the yard after which there is a neighbor, on the opposite facet of the fence, all she knew was how you can converse Spanish. And all my grandmother knew was how you can converse Japanese,” Yoshida stated. “However they’d yack, yack, yack and chat for, I do not know the way lengthy, you understand, utilizing their very own language and they’d perceive one another. So there’s some form of particular feeling in there that comes out to have the ability to perceive one another.”
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Marge Taniwaki, who additionally attended Handbook Excessive Faculty, remembers how various the neighborhood was.
“We used to name ourselves the little United Nations, as a result of there have been so many people from various backgrounds. The white children got here from Elyria-Swansea after all, we had Latinos and African People and Asians, and all of us obtained alongside,” Taniwaki stated. “And I do know that I nonetheless have many lifelong pals again from that point.”
Kevin J. Beaty/DenveritePhotos of the 5 Factors Retailers on show within the Tales of Solidarity exhibit on the historic Savoy in 5 Factors. July 9, 2022.Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteA difficulty of the Rocky Mountain Jiho on show within the Tales of Solidarity exhibit on the historic Savoy in 5 Factors. July 9, 2022.Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteThe Tales of Solidarity exhibit on the historic Savoy in 5 Factors. July 9, 2022.
Charles Ozaki, Courtney Ozaki’s father, says the shared expertise for all of the folks in 5 Factors displays societal values through the time that united the residents.
“It had the impact of pulling folks collectively, but it surely additionally had the impact of separating folks,” Charles Ozaki stated. “A variety of the individuals who had been separated had been impacted by regularly being deprived in our society.’
These elders have extra to share than simply charming reminiscences, nevertheless; they wish to determine classes for at present.
“There have been so many alternative ethnic backgrounds, folks of various shade, together with white, black, brown, no matter it was, however we had been all capable of get alongside collectively,” Yoshida stated. “And, I believe that may be a crucial lesson in mild of the issues which can be taking place on this planet at present.”
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Taniwaki hopes sharing this a part of Denver historical past may have a political and financial influence – specifically that it’ll assist gradual gentrification.
“And so in the event that they be taught what the world was like once we had been rising up, I am hoping that it’ll sway some folks to cease constructing the sorts of condominium buildings which can be solely reasonably priced to the wealthy and are pushing out the longtime residents who should be there, to retain the historical past of their longtime household associations with that space as have been for us,” Taniwaki stated.
For Courtney Ozaki, the historical past of individuals within the space is one which might not be obvious to many individuals simply strolling round. She says she hopes it forces folks to contemplate their relationships with others.
“You already know, there are not any landmarks actually that inform anyone that there was a Japanese presence within the 5 Factors space,” Courtney Ozaki stated. “And I believe the contributions each economically, in addition to the relationships constructed had been crucial to future generations. “
The free mapping challenge tour could be accessed on-line on the Japanese Arts Community web site. A restricted run in-person exhibit shall be proven at The Savoy Denver in Curtis Park at choose occasions on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from July 9-23.
Veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton has been absent from the voluntary portion of the Denver Broncos offseason training program. Sutton is reportedly seeking a new contract, despite having two years left on his current deal.
Sutton is set to earn a $13.5 million base salary in 2024, but only $2 million of is guaranteed. Theories have abounded on exactly what the veteran wideout wants from the Broncos, wth some surmizing that he might simply be seeking more guarantees in his contract.
However, according to ESPN‘s Jeremy Fowler, Sutton is seeking a modest raise from the Broncos.
“He’s due about $13.6 million in cash this year,” Fowler said during a SportsCenter appearance. “He’d like to see that get up, maybe in that $15-$16 million range. We’ll see if they can find a sweet spot.”
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Fowler also reported that no “real progress” has been made between Sutton and the Broncos. However, head coach Sean Payton played down Sutton’s hold-out thus far, saying last week followijgn an OTA practice, “That will sort itself out.”
If Sutton is only seeking a $2-3 million raise, Payton’s response is more understandable. For a playmaker who carried the Broncos’ passing offense last year, totaling a career-high 10 receiving touchdowns, throwing a couple extra million on top of what he’s making now wouldn’t be asking for the world.
The Broncos will want to be smart about it, though, as Sutton is entering his age-29 season. He’ll turn 30 in October of 2025, which is only a couple of months before his current contract expires. Broncos GM George Paton planned that well when he extended Sutton back in 2021.
Perhaps the Broncos don’t need to add any years to the term of Sutton’s contract, and instead, literally just give him a raise. Increase his $13.5M salary to, say, $15.5M, offer some additional money via playing time incentives, and convert more of it into guarantees.
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Sutton hasn’t missed any mandatory team activities thus far. But 9NEWS‘ Mike Klis, with some mandatory stuff coming up in June, did the research on what it would cost Sutton in fines to skip out on the requisite minicamp this summer, which is from June 11-13.
Klis wrote on Twitter that Sutton could be fined $16,953 for missing the first day of mandatory minicamp, $33,908 for the second, and $50,855 for the third day. It adds up to a pretty penny, but only if the Broncos enforced his contract and fined him.
For NFL players in Sutton’s earning bracket, that’s chump change. And he could make it all back and a heck of a lot more by coming out on the winning end of his hold-out and getting the Broncos to acquiesce.
Meanwhile, the Broncos aren’t lacking pass-catchers, with Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele added in the NFL draft, as well as Tim Patrick returning from injury. Throw in Marvin Mims Jr., Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson, and others, and Bo Nix, Zach Wilson, and Jarrett Stidham have no shortage of guys to throw to during in OTAs.
But it sure would be nice to have the alpha dog in the house.
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The City of Denver is one month away from celebrating one of the biggest festivities in Colorado: Denver Pride. This is the 50th year of the celebration.
This event brings hundreds of thousands of people together from the LGBTQ+ community with allies. CEO Rex Fuller with Center on Colfax tells CBS Colorado Traffic Reporter Brian Sherrod this is expected to be the biggest pride ever. Denver Pride is expecting to have more than 550,000 in attendance the weekend of June 22nd and June 23rd.
At the Denver Pride celebration, attendees can expect a world of dancing, multiple stages with entertainers, a trans resource center and much more. Even though this event is meant for everyone to have fun, Fuller tells CBS Colorado not to forget the people who fought and continue to fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Fuller tells CBS News Colorado in many states, communities are losing their rights to be themselves. Fuller says the fight for equality never stops.
DENVER, CO – JUNE 25: Employees of Coors Brewing Company hold balloons that spell out PRIDE as they take part in the Denver Pride Parade on June 25, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. Hundreds of thousands joined in or attended the parade that went for three hours. The parade spanned 14 blocks of Colfax Avenue from Cheesman Park to Civic Center, where the celebrations continued on day two of Denver PrideFest.
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Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
“Fifty years ago, when they were first holding pride, there were no civil rights protections for the LGBTQ community,” Fuller said. “You could easily be fired for being gay or lose your housing. By being visible and being out and proud in the community, that really has led to changes over the last five decades where we have marriage equality. Now, we have a lot of civil rights protections in the state of Colorado in the community.”
Denver Pride will be held at Civic Center Park on Saturday, June 22nd from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday, June 23rd from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
This year’s festivities will include:
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· The Denver PRIDE 5K. Participants will run, walk or roll starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 22, while raising funds for critically important programs supporting Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community.
· Coors Light Denver Pride Parade. It will be kicking off at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 23. The parade spans 14 blocks and features hundreds of floats, music and marchers.
The Center Stage even has a new line-up to include:
Alyssa Edwards presented by Nissan (she/her) Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, widely known as Alyssa Edwards, is an American entertainer, choreographer, drag performer, and television personality. Before gaining television fame, Johnson was a highly skilled dance instructor and an accomplished figure in the drag pageantry scene. His breakthrough came on the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2012, where his candid testimonials, iconic tongue-pops, and distinctive personality made him a fan favorite. He later returned for Season 2 of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars in 2016, finishing as the fourth runner-up. Alyssa Edwards has since become a household name with a global presence, captivating audiences across North America, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. In addition to his international appearances, Johnson owns and operates the award-winning dance studio Beyond Belief Dance Company in Mesquite, Texas. The studio and Johnson are featured in the Netflix Original docuseries Dancing Queen, produced by RuPaul and World of Wonder.
Shea Couleé (she/they) is a non-binary, internationally-renowned drag superstar, recording artist, model, and actor, known for their fashion-forward editorial looks, expanding their artistry and brand into many different spaces, and their consistent use of the art of drag and costuming as a medium for larger storytelling, having been applauded by Vogue for doing so. Widely celebrated as an activist focused on uplifting LGBTQIA+ individuals and the BIPOC community, they have countlessly shared how important it is for them to harness their career in drag to inspire, calling their drag a “love letter to Black women.” Couleé is the Season 5 winner (2020) of VH1’s RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and finished a finalist on Season 7 (2022), the special all-winners edition.
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Pattie Gonia (they/she/he) is a critically acclaimed drag queen, artist and environmentalist. Their work exists to diversify the outdoor/environmental movements and Make Nature Gay Again. Pattie has been named Outside Magazine’s Person of the Year, National Geographic Traveler of the Year and most recently, Time Magazine named Pattie a Next Gen Leader 2023.
Together with her community, they’ve fundraised over $2 million for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC and environmental non-profits, completed thousands of miles of hiking and raised awareness about the ongoing environmental crisis through their film projects like Won’t Give Up with Yo-Yo Ma and Quinn Christopherson.
Mirage, (she/her) hailed the “Legs of Las Vegas,” Mirage steals the show wherever she goes, captivating audiences worldwide with her electrifying performances and signature heel clacking. Since her crushing exit from the show, Mirage has successfully secured her spot as a fan favorite on the most recent season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and with over 5 million streams on Spotify, she’s also secured her spot as an official dance floor diva with her viral hit “She’s such a B****.” What will she do next? It’s all.. a Mirage.
Also, this year, Denver PrideFest will go green with the launch of new sustainability initiatives for the festival’s 50th anniversary. With the help of Southwest Airlines, the festival will add 150 recycling bins on-site with the goal of reaching 50 percent waste diversion.
Past festivals have left Civic Center Park clean and in good condition as part of Denver PrideFest’s ‘Leave No Trace’ policies. New this year, every trash can at PrideFest will be paired with a recycling bin to increase waste diversion. A green team of volunteers and staff will focus on education, awareness, and creating a clean stream of material to be recycled after the event.
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To encourage sustainability during the event and after, Denver PrideFest will partner with environmentalist and drag queen Pattie Gonia to develop sustainability education content for social media and the Denver Pride website. Pattie Gonia will also perform on Center Stage as a headliner and encourage attendees to recycle through on-site stage announcements.
“Partnering with Southwest Airlines and Pattie Gonia represents a significant step forward in Denver PrideFest’s ongoing efforts to reduce waste and increase sustainability,” said Rex Fuller, CEO of The Center on Colfax. “These collaborations allow us to make a greener festival experience a reality, resulting in a positive impact in our community.”
Additional waste reduction initiatives include:
Water trailers on-site to fill reusable water bottles and cut down on the number of single-use plastic bottles
Utilizing reusable cups (rcups) in the VIP area for all mixed drinks
Moving toward serving drinks in recyclable aluminum cans
Requiring food vendors to supply recyclable containers for their product
Find the full details including the Pride Parade and how to volunteer online: https://denverpride.org/
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Brian Sherrod
Brian Sherrod is a multimedia journalist and the First Alert Traffic Tracker Reporter at CBS News Colorado. Read his latest reports or check out his bio and send him an email.
If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.
Tuesday
Cocktails & Taste Tour — With four craft cocktails and three food pairings, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Denver, $79-$85. Registration required: deliciousdenverfoodtours.com.
Lord of Acid — With Praga Khan, 7 p.m., ReelWorks, Denver, $35 and up. Tickets: reelworksdenver.com.
Gabe Gravangno, Piano — 7-9 p.m., Mercury Café, Rose Room, Denver; mercurycafe.com.
Whitworth — With Nicki Walters and Mlady, 7:30 p.m., Skylark Lounge, Denver, $12.06. Tickets: skylarklounge.com.
Vocal Jazz Ensembles: Resonance, The Vocal Syndicate, Vocal Spectrum — 7:30-9 p.m., Newman Center for the Arts, Room 121, Williams Recital Salon, Denver; newmancenterpresents.com.
The Sadies — With Big Seasons, 8 p.m., Globe Hall, Denver, $22. Tickets: globehall.com.
Open Jam Supper Club — Featuring members of 40 Oz to Freedom, Taylor Scott Band, Cass Clayton Band, Space Orphan, 8 p.m., Cervantes’ Other Side, 2635 Welton St., Denver. Tickets: cervantesmasterpiece.com.
Turn Up Tuesday Open Mic — 9 p.m., Goosetown Tavern, 3242 E. Colfax Ave., Denver; goosetowntavern.com.
Dark Tuesdays — With Darkwave, EBM, Industrial, Synthpop, Futurepop and more, 9 p.m., HQ, 60 S. Broadway, Denver; hqdenver.com.
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”Collective Nouns” — Through July 17, Center for Visual Art, 965 Santa Fe Drive, Denver; msudenver.edu/cva.
”Sandra Vásquez de la Horra: The Awake Volcanoes” — Through July 21, Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver, go online for prices: denverartmuseum.org.
”Process Make Perfect: Printmakers Explore the Natural World” — Through July 28, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver, go online for prices; botanicgardens.org.
