Renaming St*pleton
Past, Present, Future
Questions or corrections? Contact us at renameforall@gmail.com.
Visible & Vocal Opposition to the Name “Stapleton”
This all started with a renaming: In 1944, Denver Municipal Airport was renamed “Stapleton Airfield” to honor the mayor at the time, Benjamin Stapleton.
According to Tamara Rhone, Denver resident and retired educator, her parents were part of a group of Black Denver residents seeking to rename Stapleton Airport in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
This is the earliest organized effort that we’re aware of to advocate for renaming, due to Stapleton’s Klan membership in the 1920s and his white supremacist and racist policies enacted throughout his near 20-year tenure as mayor.
1990s: The Rename Stapleton Committee
After the airport was decommissioned, a group known as the “Rename Stapleton Committee,” led by Black community activists Mary Martin and JuJu Nkrumah, petitioned city leaders and the developers to remove the name “Stapleton” from any future development on the land.
1995: The Stapleton Development Plan
(aka “The Green Book”)
In March 1995, the Stapleton Redevelopment Plan (commonly known as “The Green Book”) was approved by a unanimous vote of Denver City Council.
“[The continued use of] the name is like having a KKK flag waved in our faces.”
JuJu Nkrumah, quoted in Park Hill News, September 2001
“I feel like the members of the community, specifically the Park Hill Community, were duped into believing that the name would be changed...I sat through many board meetings where Stapleton and Forest City officials, most specifically Tom Gleason, promised that the name would not be retained.”
Roslyn Wheeler-Bell, Board Chair of the
Greater Park Hill Community RNO during this period
2000s: Stapleton Development Corporation &
Citizens Advisory Board
2000 Due to objections to the name Stapleton, again because of the Klan history, the SDC formed a committee to create a naming policy.
Feb. 2001 SDC created naming policy limiting the use of the name for marketing purposes only.
Oct. 2001 Community Declaration filed by Forest City, forming a project within the old Stapleton airport.
Dec. 2002 Co-chairs of CAB wrote letter to Forest City objecting to use of “Stapleton” on a holiday card
Aug. 2003 Amended Declaration: States that the “initial name of the community is Stapleton” and created a process by which it can be changed. This is almost the first item addressed in a 144-page document.
“I remember we had a committee that met several times. It recommended that Stapleton places and neighborhoods should have other names, but that Stapleton could be used for marketing purposes for a while, and then Stapleton would be dropped. That’s why you see ‘X at Stapleton.’ The ‘at Stapleton’ is supposed to be dropped. Unfortunately, the marketing exception seems to have swallowed the rule.”
Roberto Corrada, member of the Stapleton Development Corporation Naming Committee
2001: SDC Naming Policy
“Four of the six panels (on the card) were devoted exclusively to…‘Stapleton.’ We believe the card was inappropriate and insensitive.
“Stapleton’s association with the Klan remains deep in the collective memory of Denver’s African-American community.
“The mass distribution of your holiday card went far beyond [locator] use. It sends a message of disinterest of history of the land that you are developing, its residents and the surrounding neighbors. We are disappointed in Forest City.”
Terry Whitney & Nadine Caldwell
Board Chairs of the Citizens Advisory Board, Dec. 2002
Quotes from a Letter about a 2002 holiday card distributed by Forest City
2003: Amended Community Declaration
News Stories & Opinion
Rocky Mountain News
Nov. 5, 2002
The Denver Post
Nov. 6, 2002
The Denver Post
Nov. 13, 2002
Stormfront Message Board Discussion
Nov. 5, 2002
Stormfront Message Board Discussion (cont.)
2010: Academic Work
Elite Status and Social Change
While not directly related to advocating for a name change, this research paper discusses the shift from active community engagement to a mere symbolic presence on the governing bodies within the neighborhood over the course of redevelopment.
“[D]uring the long process of creating and implementing the Stapleton plan, community members became progressively disempowered to contribute meaningfully to Stapleton’s development. Once they were appointed to official boards associated with the project, the contributions of these nonexpert, volunteer citizens became more symbolic than substantive. Although they were named official advisors to SDC and Forest City, citizen participants seemed to become less eager and willing to exert strong pressure on the city and Forest City to abide by all the goals set out in the Green Book, according to our field notes and conversations with our respondents. According to several interviewees, the advisory group maintained its calls for affordability and diversity throughout the earlier process of creating the Green Book, but its members’ voices became much more muted, or tempered (Myerson 2001), and their concerns began to sound more like requests than demands once Forest City entered the game. In fact, in our interviews, several citizens board members professed sympathy for the extent to which a for-profit company could be expected to act in an unprofitable manner, such as contracting with African American-owned companies, or integrating affordable housing throughout the development rather than clustering it on the edges. When asked if Forest City was doing enough to ensure workplace diversity and residential integration, several citizen representatives expressed their sympathy for the company’s need to face economic reality. In effect, they seemed to concede that Forest City was acting on interests recognizable to the field, while they themselves (and the Foundation’s social goals) were out of place.”
Quote from Elite Status and Social Change
"In short, Stapleton has demonstrated greater strides in the direction of social goals than most other local developments, but its development falls far short of the original Green Book plan. In fact, some in the community, including a staff member at the developer (who wished to remain anonymous), argue that the social goals have remained largely symbolic because they have not received the full backing of the ultimate economic authority in the field, Forest City, and because the city of Denver has not put pressure on the developer. The possibility remains that the most impressive outcome of building Stapleton will be to have developed a predominantly white, middle class, environmentally friendly community instead of an area of strip malls and warehouses, but that other ideals will go unrealized.”
Quote from Elite Status and Social Change
2014-2015: Shop Talk Live & Black Lives Matter 5280
In 2014, Black community organizers associated with the show Shop Talk Live revived objections to the name “Stapleton.”
According to Topazz McBride, their efforts at that point were focused at the state level and lobbying the Governor’s office.
These revived efforts eventually led to Black Lives Matter 5280 identifying changing the community name as one of its goals, tied to other goals related to racial equity and justice in Denver.
In August 2015, BLM5280 staged its #ChangeTheNameStapleton action, flying the banner bearing that hashtag from the East 29th Avenue Town Center sign and distributing informational flyers to all homes in the community.
This inspired a renewed discussion of the naming issue among community members, many of whom were not aware of Denver’s Klan history and Mayor Stapleton’s role in it.
“When BLM5280 started the 2015 campaign to #ChangeTheNameStapleton, it was out of a desire for community healing. We aren’t always given the opportunity to right wrongs—to be better. But renaming Stapleton is a chance for our neighbors to show that they have heard the communities calling out for an end to hatred in its many forms.”
Amy Brown, BLM5280 Co-Founder
Fall 2015: Stapleton United Neighbors Community Meeting
In September 2015, SUN held a meeting to hear from community members. Over 100 neighbors attend to speak.
The only follow-up from SUN was to include a single question about the name on a neighborhood survey sent out months later.
Councilman Chris Herndon stated that the City Attorney maintains there is no way to officially change the name of the community through legislation and that it is Forest City’s responsibility to deal with the issue in their marketing and branding.
This message was communicated through news coverage of the issue, and the issue fell dormant again.
Winter 2015: Forest City’s Strategic Marketing Plan
April 2017: Changing Denver Podcast
In April 2017, an episode of Paul Karolyi’s “Changing Denver” podcast was dedicated to answering the question of what happened to the #ChangeTheNameStapleton movement.
He interviewed Genevieve Swift and the late Dr. Gregory Diggs, one of the first residents of the community and founding member of SUN, about the issue and the change from its early ideals as a “diverse community” to its current form as a majority-white, exclusive neighborhood.
Fall 2017: Rename St*pleton for All
Following the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in August 2017, SUN issued a letter denouncing racist violence and monuments to white supremacy, on letterhead bearing the Stapleton name.
Community members who were angered by this began speaking out at SUN meetings and organizing themselves around the name issue.
Greg Diggs, Jackie St. Joan, and Genevieve Swift formed Rename St*pleton for All, a 501c3 nonprofit, to continue BLM5280’s mission of advocating for changing the community name and educating the public about Denver’s Klan history and the legacy that remains today.
BLM5280 turned over the administration of the #ChangeTheNameStapleton Facebook page to Rename St*pleton for All.
Rename St*pleton for All Goals
5. Support renaming efforts at DSST Stapleton.
6. Create a Business Advisory Team to assist small businesses that would like to change their names.
7. Rename Stapleton United Neighbors (SUN)
8. Get the Master Community Association (MCA) to discontinue use of the name on signage and other branded materials.
9. Get other community governance organizations to change their names (SDC, Stapleton Foundation, CAB).
Rename St*pleton for All Goals
Note: “Change the official community name” was not listed as an initial goal because, at that point, Rename leaders were not aware that the amended Community Declarations included a process for changing the official name of the community.
Late 2017 through 2018
Nov. 2017 Forest City removed “Stapleton” from the 29th Ave. signage.
Dec. 2017 City of Denver removed “Stapleton Park” sign from a park in Globeville.
Dec. 2017 SUN’s Listening Sessions were held, and the analysis of comments concluded that most who participated want the name changed. (Greg Diggs’s closing comments.)
Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018 Community organizations dropped the name: Foundation, SDC, CAB.
Feb. 2018 Greg Diggs passed away unexpectedly.
May 2018 58% of ballots cast in favor or renaming SUN, but 66% threshold required.
Summer 2018 Jackie St. Joan discovered the renaming process set forth in the amended Community Declarations.
Fall 2018 A slate of pro-Rename candidates run to become MCA delegates, but due to votes from Forest City that swing two districts, only two candidates win their races.
Nov. 2018 Forest City rebrands the community as “80238 - 12 Neighborhoods Strong” before its sale to Brookfield.
Nov. 2018-Feb. 2018 The MCA board proposes a binary vote on the name to determine whether they will put any resources toward education and renaming.
2019: MCA Referendum
Spring/Summer 2019 The MCA delegates and board voted to send out a binding referendum regarding the community name, without further community engagement or education around this issue.
Endorsements in 2019 Before the Vote
“In 2019, we cannot diminish the impact of the KKK or disregard the history. In today’s society, we have to take a stand on where we stand.
“The new corporation that bought Forest City and administers the Stapleton Neighborhood Association should not think this issue will go away, even if the vote is to keep the Stapleton name…
“For decades, Denver has ignored one of its mayors was a KKK member. We have to face reality and make a change.”
Wellington Webb, Denver Mayor, 1991-2003
2019: Referendum Result & Aftermath
August 2019 With about 33% turnout, 65% of returned ballots voted to keep the Stapleton name, while 35% voted to change the name.
October 2019 Curious Theater Company premiered “Inheritance,” a 30-minute play set during Mayor Stapleton’s first term as mayor.
October 2019 Denver Parks & Recreation removed “Stapleton” name from the rec center in Globeville, giving it the interim name “5090 Broadway Recreation Center.”
2020 & Beyond: Where Do We Go From Here?
We want to hear from you!
Email us renameforall@gmail.com or connect with us on Facebook.