A group of homesteaders at the Dearfield settlement, about 65 miles northeast of Denver. Credit:CPR News

February 2025 marks Black History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black people. There are various activities and events all over Colorado to mark this special month. Afrik Digest Magazine recommends visiting these 5 great places in Colorado to honor the history and legacy of African Americans in Colorado.  Since America’s bicentennial in 1976, Americans have recalled and honored the often-overlooked stories and experiences of black Americans during African-American History Month.

If you are looking to discover and celebrate these stories, you need only explore the landscapes of Colorado. The following places demonstrate how black Coloradans have been, and continue to be, pioneering, disciplined, daring, and resilient, mirroring Colorado history.

El Pueblo History Museum, Pueblo

One of the co-founders of the El Pueblo Trading Post was Jim Beckwourth, who’s featured in the Borderlands of Southern Colorado exhibit in the same spot now known as El Pueblo History Museum. Beckwourth was born into slavery in Virginia, and as a free young man moved out West. He traded with the Cheyenne out of Fort Vasquez in Weld County before helping to build a trading post and found the town of Pueblo. He continued to travel all over the West before settling in Denver in 1859.

Fort Garland, Costilla County

After the Civil War, many African-American soldiers eagerly responded to the government’s call for troops to help create permanent settlements in the West. From 1876–1879, Buffalo Soldiers were stationed at Fort Garland, where the Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center houses photos and artifacts today.

Dearfield, Weld County

This African-American farming community is the only remaining town in Colorado that exemplifies the national black colonization movement inspired by Booker T. Washington. It was one of 14 rural towns established in the West to provide Americans of African descent with the opportunity to own and work their own land. By 1917, 60 African-American families were working its 15,000 acres.

Five Points Historic Cultural District, Denver

Although Denver had no Jim Crow laws in place, black residents had trouble finding housing and were forced to attend segregated schools. The Five Points neighborhood was the nexus of the black community, supporting the development of entrepreneurs like Madam C.J. Walker. Churches like Zion Baptist served as centers of political life. In the 1930s, the Rossonian Lounge and Hotel became one of the nation’s best jazz clubs, hosting Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and Dinah Washington; it was recently awarded a State Historical Fund grant to preserve its legacy. Today’s Black American West Museum was once the home of Dr. Justina Ford, who despite being denied a medical license delivered about 7,000 babies during her esteemed career.

Dearfield, Weld County

This African-American farming community is the only remaining town in Colorado that exemplifies the national black colonization movement inspired by Booker T. Washington. It was one of 14 rural towns established in the West to provide Americans of African descent with the opportunity to own and work their own land. By 1917, 60 African-American families were working its 15,000 acres.