SUBJECT: General Business
Title
Presentation on Erie BIPOC History Project
Body
DEPARTMENT: Human Resources Department
Department
PRESENTER(S): James Everett, Development, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager
Ashleigh Lawrence-Sanders, Assistant Professor, CU Boulder
First Name, Last Name, Title
TIME ESTIMATE: 45 minutes
only required for non-consent items
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
In support of the Council's priority of fostering an Engaged and Diverse Community, the staff embarked on a project to better know and understand the stories of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) who are a part of the community's history. In the fall of 2023, the Town hired a researcher from the University of Colorado to help in finding these sometimes-hidden stories.
Preliminary work began by focusing on the available histories of the Town's Indigenous, Mexican, and Japanese residents up to the 1920s. This study, commissioned in part for Erie's 150th anniversary of incorporation, revealed a complex backdrop of migration, conflict, and settlement, significantly predating the Town's official founding in 1874. Utilizing census data, newspapers, and oral histories, the research highlighted the significant yet often overlooked contributions and challenges of these communities.
Key findings included the displacement of the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes, the substantial Mexican presence in the community by 1920, and persistent racial tensions often interwoven with the Town's mining and agricultural industries. More recent history shows as the mining and agriculture industries gave way to suburban and commercial development, Erie's diverse population of proud laborers transitioned over time to a largely suburban-commuter community that is now indicative throughout the Front Range.
Tonight's presentation is a summary of the historical findings.
COUNCIL PRIORITY(S) ADDRESSED:
* Engaged and Diverse Community
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