The Denver City Council is weighing the addition of a “slavery acknowledgment” at the beginning of its meetings to recognize the forced labor of enslaved Africans and the legacy of that practice.
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Councilwoman Shontel Lewis brought the proposal forward during a committee meeting Tuesday, originally calling it a “labor acknowledgment.” Later in the meeting, she said she may change the name to call out slavery more specifically, since that is what the text centers on.
The proposal sparked debate about whether it’s inclusive enough, with the committee postponing a vote until next month.
The acknowledgement, which would be read in conjunction with the council’s land acknowledgement and the Pledge of Allegiance, also references segregation, Jim Crow laws and the Ku Klux Klan. Denver was among cities to adopt a land acknowledgment in 2020 — intended as a reminder of earlier Native American inhabitants of the territory — and the new proposal would build on efforts to recognize past injustices and their lingering effects.
“The intent really is to think about what’s the pain that is in our communities, and how can we turn that pain into policy that lifts them out of that suffering?” Lewis said during Tuesday’s meeting.
The language of the proposed acknowledgment is:
“We acknowledge that our country’s economy, infrastructure, and resulting generational wealth would not exist as they do today without the stolen and forced labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants who suffered the horror of the transatlantic trafficking, chattel slavery, and, later on, dehumanization through segregation and Jim Crow laws.
“We acknowledge and remember those who did not survive the Middle Passage, as well as those who were beaten and lynched at the hands of White Americans. We recognize the terror inflicted by the Ku Klux Klan, who historically counted among their members numerous government officials in Denver and others in positions of power. We stand with those who are still suffering while fighting for their freedom.
“We acknowledge how these dehumanizing practices have social, legal, and economic legacies that continue to reverberate through the generations, and in so acknowledging, commit to truth, accountability, and repair.”
During the council’s Finance and Business Committee meeting, council members voiced general support for the idea but suggested ways to make the acknowledgement more inclusive.
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Council President Diana Romero-Campbell asked whether other groups, such as migrant workers and people held in Japanese internment camps, could also be acknowledged.
“There are multiple things that could be captured,” she said. “If we’re going to do this, I’d like to be really thorough about it and think about it so it is reflective of a broader Denver and Colorado experience.”
Councilman Chris Hinds asked if similar acknowledgements specifically called out “White Americans,” as the proposal would, instead of oppressive systems.
Lewis, who is running for mayor next year, said she would talk with the groups she worked with to develop the language to see about possible tweaks. But she added that the intent was to recognize the labor done by people who were slaves.
Lewis said she worked on the resolution with several local groups, including the city’s African American and LGBTQIA+ commissions, Justice for Black Coloradans, Collaborative Healing Initiative within Communities, and the city’s Office of Social Equity and Innovation.
Six years ago, the council approved the resolution to adopt its land acknowledgement unanimously. That script, which a council member reads each week, reminds people that Denver was home to the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho people.
The committee voted 4-1 to postpone consideration of the new resolution until its Aug. 11 meeting to spend more time on the language. The measure would also need approval from the full council.
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