DUS x KGNU Metro - December 2023

[00:00:00] This is KGNU FM 88.5 Boulder, KGNU 1390 Denver, Stay tuned for Match Rout.

[00:00:30] The KGNU and KGNU featuring RootsDock, a benefit for Roots Music Project Saturday, November

[00:00:36] 25 from noon to 9 p.m.

[00:00:38] Dickinson Information can be found at RootsMusicProject.org

[00:01:13] Lacken Happen in a year, Lacken Lessons and Chances for Us to Get It Right

[00:01:17] It's a great honor to serve as Associate Publisher of the Denver Urban Spectrum

[00:01:22] And it's been a rewarding year for us.

[00:01:24] We launched the Expanding The Narrative Podcast Network along with our Reader Revenue Membership

[00:01:29] Campaign, all while producing great stories in community every month.

[00:01:33] Here to tell us about the December issue is Managing Editor Ruby Jones.

[00:01:38] Hello hello, this is Ruby Jones.

[00:01:45] November was filled with exciting events and activities, and Denver Urban Spectrum

[00:01:50] enjoyed networking with creatives, philanthropists, and business leaders all month

[00:01:56] month.

[00:01:57] We started the month with the Denver Film Festival, which featured nearly 200 documentaries,

[00:02:03] short films and feature-length films from local and international filmmakers.

[00:02:08] The festival started with American fiction, starring Jeffrey Wright,

[00:02:12] Erica Alexander, and Sterling Cape Brown, and went on to highlight incredible projects.

[00:02:18] One fan favorite Maxine's baby, the Tyler Perry story, highlighted the life and journey of the

[00:02:25] media titan who brought the Medea character to life.

[00:02:28] And events throughout the 90 festival brought film enthusiasts together to celebrate cinematic

[00:02:34] excellent.

[00:02:35] The Global Down Syndrome Foundations, beat beautiful B. Yourself Fashion Show, was held on November

[00:02:42] 18th, and I sat down with Supermodel Beverly Johnson, whose knees Natalie Fuller has

[00:02:48] gown syndrome.

[00:02:49] Miss Johnson discussed her role as a global ambassador, and her passion for the foundation.

[00:02:55] Together with Natalie, they walked the red carpet and the runway and had a fabulous

[00:03:00] time.

[00:03:01] The December issue of Denver Urban Spectrum includes highlights from the film festival and

[00:03:05] the fashion show.

[00:03:07] Make sure to check them out and get involved with Denver Film, and the Global Down Syndrome

[00:03:11] Foundation throughout the year.

[00:03:14] Each year, Denver Urban Spectrum reflects on memorable moments that happened all year long.

[00:03:20] This month's issue features a recap of each monthly issue.

[00:03:24] There was so much to cover in 2023.

[00:03:27] We look back in appreciation of the contributions made by members of our community and dedicated

[00:03:33] the Denver December issue to the memory of friends and loved ones who we lost throughout

[00:03:38] the year.

[00:03:39] History has been made in the December issue, with a cover story featuring Sheridan Garin,

[00:03:45] who is the first Black Ballerina to hold a principal role in Colorado Ballets presentation

[00:03:51] of the Nutcracker.

[00:03:53] In a few moments, you'll hear directly from Sheridan about what the role means to her.

[00:03:58] You'll also hear from Balleria Howard coming in, who is hearing up for this year's Martin Luther King

[00:04:04] African American Heritage Rodeal of Champions, which will be held at the Denver Coliseum

[00:04:09] on January 15th, 2020.

[00:04:12] With the holiday season upon us, Denver Urban Spectrum pays tribute to a community leader

[00:04:19] who made great contributions toward Denver's quance of celebrations throughout the years.

[00:04:24] Along with an educational overview of the quance of holiday, the December issue features

[00:04:29] cost-saving tips for Christmas and a feel good story about rodeo champion eight moruses

[00:04:35] cowboy shoot out cookies.

[00:04:37] The Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado announces its most recent classic graduates

[00:04:43] and the city of Denver is preserving history with the landmark designation for the home

[00:04:48] of civil rights icon Irving Andrews.

[00:04:51] You'll find all of that and more in the December issue of Denver Urban Spectrum

[00:04:56] be sure to pick up a free copy of the publication in locations around town

[00:05:01] or visit Denverurvinspectrum.com for more interviews and news you can use.

[00:05:07] Stay tuned to hear all about the Nutcracker and other feature stories.

[00:05:14] Color of change is a matching fundraising campaign to uplift the voices of our communities

[00:05:19] in local news.

[00:05:20] This year, Denver Urban Spectrum launched our membership program and I'm excited to tell you

[00:05:25] that contributions from readers are building the foundation of our new business

[00:05:29] sustainability model.

[00:05:31] This helps us cover everything from the journalism itself to community building.

[00:05:35] Most importantly, support allows our writers the time they need to dig deep

[00:05:40] into the issues that matter.

[00:05:42] The stories of our community are worth telling.

[00:05:44] We make it happen and members make it possible.

[00:05:47] We are committed to providing this journalism free of charge, but is expensive to produce.

[00:05:52] Here's Dr. Dwaneida Mosby Tyler, chief catalyst of the equity project on why she supports

[00:05:58] the Denver Urban Spectrum.

[00:06:00] Hi.

[00:06:01] I'm Dr. Dwaneida Mosby Tyler and I support the Urban Spectrum because it's the source of keeping

[00:06:08] the black community alive, even when we're not always in proximity to one another.

[00:06:14] I consider the Urban Spectrum a trusted source of telling stories of triumph, success and

[00:06:21] challenges in our community.

[00:06:23] In an era of distrust of media sources, it is comforting to me to know that the Urban Spectrum

[00:06:30] seeks to not only garnish rust, but to also instill hope.

[00:06:36] I'm thankful and I'll always be alive long supporter of a gift like this.

[00:06:43] The holiday season is full of customs, traditions, and celebratory events.

[00:06:49] The Nutcracker is a traditional ballet performance based on ETA Hoffman's 1816 short story,

[00:06:56] the Nutcracker and the Mouse King.

[00:06:59] This ballet, created in 1892, has been presented in Denver by the Colorado Ballet for 62 years.

[00:07:07] This year, Colorado Ballet is making history with a black ballerina in the principal role

[00:07:13] for the first time.

[00:07:15] Sheridan Garron will be playing Clara, a young girl whose Christmas dream is the focus of the ballet.

[00:07:21] This month's issue of Denver Urban Spectrum features a beautiful photo of Sheridan reaching high

[00:07:27] in a stunning dance pose with a cover story about her journey as a ballerina.

[00:07:32] Listen to this clip of Sheridan as she discusses the Nutcracker and the historic significance of her role.

[00:07:39] I think hip hop was one of my favorite things, so there was just a cyclical closest to what I was doing at home.

[00:07:44] Moving around, and my hip hop teacher told me that I needed more kind of technique.

[00:07:50] I needed to add more techniques, so I was already doing ballet and jazz but not consistently.

[00:07:56] I was doing hip hop more.

[00:07:58] Whenever she said that I really dove more into ballet.

[00:08:02] I had one teacher that told me that I was really special because of my feet and legs.

[00:08:07] I have really flexible feet and hip or extension which is like the ideal ballet body.

[00:08:13] Whenever my teacher told me that I was like, it's a shoulder.

[00:08:18] Something that I guess I was born with and so that really excited me to kind of take ballet more seriously.

[00:08:27] I think more at the age of 12 is when I really like dove and ballet.

[00:08:31] Were there times when you were like, nope, I hated?

[00:08:36] Sometimes I feel more so now because there's more pressure when you're in a company but younger.

[00:08:46] It's kind of like, you're just doing something for fun.

[00:08:49] Even when I decided to fully go into ballet, I had the right teachers around me that never made me feel like I hated it.

[00:08:56] Even if I was the only black person in the room which at that time I didn't really think of it.

[00:09:03] Whatever I was used to that in Texas being like one of three or two.

[00:09:08] So I was used to being around or I was used to being your minority in the room.

[00:09:14] Were you told that you didn't fit the ballet standard or anything?

[00:09:20] No, no, no because of my feet and my legs.

[00:09:24] I had the ideal ballet body which is why I'm still doing it.

[00:09:30] Which is why I kind of like it made me think, oh how special I can do all these things.

[00:09:38] Well being the, I saw, I guess a mild or a small interview of you being the first black player and everything.

[00:09:46] Do you perform as clear all 20 shows?

[00:09:50] No, so they have five cast here and so that gives us a break.

[00:09:56] That would be crazy.

[00:09:58] Not like a Broadway show we have one cast.

[00:10:01] Right, that's what I'm doing the same cast.

[00:10:03] Okay, it's good.

[00:10:04] Yeah.

[00:10:05] In principle, I guess because I just don't understand too much.

[00:10:09] You wouldn't mind.

[00:10:11] Clara seems like a principal character.

[00:10:14] It might use, okay, so it is okay.

[00:10:17] So I'm understanding what principal is.

[00:10:19] It's not just, okay.

[00:10:20] Yeah, my very first, this is my third year during Clara and I was at

[00:10:24] Prentice doing that principal role.

[00:10:26] So it was a big deal to me.

[00:10:27] I didn't take it lightly as like a proud of where, I mean,

[00:10:33] I was proud of the opportunity and then also starting at 11 years old is very late.

[00:10:38] Oh, a dancer usually, usually kids start at like,

[00:10:43] a little bit like three or four.

[00:10:45] Sometimes six, when they start to remember their things and so 11 years old starting ballet

[00:10:51] and 12 really getting into it, I felt like I need to play catch up.

[00:10:56] So that's why I was doing it intensely at home school.

[00:11:00] I want first, I went to school that did four hours of ballet, four hours of education.

[00:11:04] Okay.

[00:11:05] And after that, I decided to switch schools

[00:11:11] and go to this school called ballet Academy of Texas.

[00:11:16] And from there, I like fully homeschooled.

[00:11:19] And I was dancing like seven, eight hours a day.

[00:11:22] And then I'm done talking because I felt like I needed it.

[00:11:25] And I also was like, if I'm pursuing this as a career,

[00:11:28] like I have to fully dive into it.

[00:11:30] There's no like 50, if you're like 100% going to something.

[00:11:35] So yeah.

[00:11:36] What is it like that you're somebody's role model?

[00:11:41] Amazing.

[00:11:42] I feel really proud and also like I just hope that I am inspiring those brown and black kids in the audience to hopefully pursue ballet

[00:11:53] because we're always looking for more minorities in ballet.

[00:11:56] Would you be interested in teaching as well?

[00:11:58] I teach now, so yeah, possibly interested in teaching.

[00:12:02] What do you teach now?

[00:12:03] I teach ballet in point.

[00:12:05] So yeah, I teach private's too.

[00:12:09] So they can call you if somebody wants to have their little girl.

[00:12:13] Yeah, if they want to private, they can just contact me and I will set up.

[00:12:18] But it's not cool.

[00:12:20] Have you noticed more people of color, little kids of color or anybody coming through?

[00:12:26] Yeah, yeah.

[00:12:27] It was just in general.

[00:12:29] In general.

[00:12:30] It's hard.

[00:12:31] Well here it's hard.

[00:12:32] Yeah.

[00:12:33] Yeah.

[00:12:34] But I mean like when you were in Houston,

[00:12:37] did the misty copeland thing kind of blow it up and that he's out or did it still kind of momentum?

[00:12:43] Yeah, I think I have noticed more.

[00:12:45] Sure.

[00:12:46] It's kind of what I see on social media.

[00:12:49] Right.

[00:12:50] And I also like look on like companies, something like their social media.

[00:12:53] They'll take videos of kids like in class.

[00:12:56] And Ed Lanta was a huge one.

[00:12:58] There's so many black dance kids there.

[00:13:01] Beautiful.

[00:13:02] There can never be enough.

[00:13:04] Or more or more.

[00:13:05] So yeah, I was looking into it and they were saying that the ballet body,

[00:13:09] they were saying that a lot of, or what I was watching regarding people of color trying to enter ballet specifically and that people were pushing them towards other dance for your hips or too big or your two-dark or anything like that.

[00:13:24] Did you hear?

[00:13:25] You didn't hear any of that because you got the special rooms.

[00:13:28] But does your co, yes, people here in this thing?

[00:13:31] Yes.

[00:13:32] I actually have a friend here in the company.

[00:13:34] She heard a lot about that.

[00:13:36] She is like, you're only a ballet dancer?

[00:13:39] Not ballet, sorry.

[00:13:40] You're only a modern dancer.

[00:13:41] Your body's been clear.

[00:13:42] Yeah.

[00:13:43] Contemporary modern.

[00:13:44] Which is definitely discouraging.

[00:13:48] You don't want to hear that you're not meant for something or that you don't belong here.

[00:13:52] When we already kind of feel that sense in ballet, since there is so few of us.

[00:13:59] We want to hear like, we want the same opportunities.

[00:14:04] We want the same treatment.

[00:14:06] We want the same, we want to get looked at the same even though it's hard not to.

[00:14:10] But like, so are you ready to do that?

[00:14:12] Like to be looked at as, are you a ballerina or you a black ballerina?

[00:14:16] I like to be like, there's a black ballerina.

[00:14:18] Okay.

[00:14:21] Leadership is the ability to inspire and motivate others.

[00:14:25] In February of this year, I embarked on the transformation journey

[00:14:28] at the Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado.

[00:14:31] And for 10 months, my cohort of 26 visionaries focused on developing our interpersonal leadership skills

[00:14:37] with a greater sense of civic responsibility and understanding the nuances of politics.

[00:14:43] Not only did we get the professional development, we received personal development with lessons in self-care and mental wellness.

[00:14:50] I even had the esteemed privilege to visit the motherland of Africa in the countries of Ghana and Egypt

[00:14:56] on an international experience.

[00:14:58] I'm here with Dr. Ryan Ross, president and CEO of the Urban Leadership Foundation

[00:15:03] to talk about the future of black leadership in Colorado.

[00:15:07] Thank you, Doc, for joining us today.

[00:15:10] We would like to talk about leadership.

[00:15:13] I don't know if we talk about it enough, but I just want to jump into it and find out,

[00:15:18] kind of what your leadership experience has been when you think about the last 10 years,

[00:15:24] and how that journey has brought you to where you are today.

[00:15:29] And where are you going when you think about the next 5-10 years, what visions

[00:15:37] that are goals do you have for your work?

[00:15:40] Yeah, so that's a great question, right?

[00:15:42] I spend a lot of time helping people actualize.

[00:15:45] And the reality is I've done that for the last 15-16 years.

[00:15:50] And everything that I do, but really as a relates to our leadership foundation,

[00:15:54] I've done that on a part-time capacity nights and weekends when I have time.

[00:15:58] And in that limited time, we've been able to do some tremendous things, right?

[00:16:02] Produce over 450 alumni, produce CEOs, politicians, you know, people who are creating programs

[00:16:08] that are impacting multiple generations, right?

[00:16:12] And so I think about that, and I think about the higher edge,

[00:16:15] that just decided that it was time to give all of my effort to this experience.

[00:16:21] And so over the next 5 years, we want to grow this work out of the borders of Colorado.

[00:16:27] We want to really create these just intentional collisions of networking of a nepotism, right?

[00:16:35] Like I really want us to put each other on and really find the answer to a very simple question

[00:16:42] with a complex answer. What is it take for one to thrive?

[00:16:46] And I want to help everybody find that answer. It's different for everybody,

[00:16:50] but the pathway to get there, I think, is the same.

[00:16:52] And I'm going to even look at it as a risk.

[00:16:54] It's just another opportunity to serve, right?

[00:16:57] And I just believe when you focus your intentions in the right way, things just take care of themselves.

[00:17:03] And so we're creating scholarship funds for folks in college.

[00:17:09] We are helping small businesses, we're building leaders, we're going to be rolling out in the programs.

[00:17:13] So I'm just excited for the ride and I'm excited for just a few more lengths to serve in

[00:17:19] and really just watch people manifest their dreams and actualize it as a fierce post-B.

[00:17:26] When you think about what it's going to take, what kind of resources are support would be

[00:17:32] most beneficial to you and the Airman Leadership Foundation.

[00:17:37] I'm like, the on Sanders right now, right? We need resources.

[00:17:40] If you think about these other big teams that are recruiting, they got money in the bank.

[00:17:44] Same thing, right? When you're talking about actualizing your dreams, it comes in a variety of ways.

[00:17:50] People need access to training and need access to capital.

[00:17:54] They need access to experiences.

[00:17:56] And so we really need the resources to make that happen in a way where we can scale it out.

[00:18:01] It's not just support 30, 40, 50 people a year.

[00:18:04] We want to be really looking at 300, 350 people a year across the Midwest and then to scale that out every two years

[00:18:12] it would be adding states both to the East and West.

[00:18:15] So we want to be a national organization.

[00:18:18] I would be in the next 10 years.

[00:18:20] Yes, it's going to continue to take really great people.

[00:18:23] I think our founders, our board members, you know, they're extraordinary people.

[00:18:28] Right? You talked about the first black may have different and well-intensive way of writing.

[00:18:32] Richard Lewis, one of the fastest growing entrepreneurs, former Senator Angela Williams,

[00:18:37] people like Tom Clark from the Economic Development.

[00:18:40] The VC occurred. We're going to continue to need people like that.

[00:18:44] And those are kind of the season, the alum, the OGs, if you will.

[00:18:50] But as we look at our own alumni ranks, right?

[00:18:53] It's the James Comments of the World, the Nicod McPhes of the World.

[00:18:57] It's the Brittany Winkfields of the World, right?

[00:18:59] People who are focused on providing a platform for somebody to go from one side to the other.

[00:19:04] Those are people we got to partner with.

[00:19:06] Those are people who we have to support and make sure that you guys keep your cups filled

[00:19:11] because it's the work and it's not easy and it's often thankless

[00:19:15] but the outcome is tremendous.

[00:19:18] Yes. Where do we go to find out what is happening at the Urban Leadership Foundation?

[00:19:22] And can you tell us what we can be looking out for in the next month and beyond?

[00:19:27] Yeah, yeah. So, you know, we're on on the social media platforms at

[00:19:32] ULF Colorado. Our website is www.ULFColorado.org.

[00:19:37] So you can connect with us there.

[00:19:40] I'm on all the social media platforms at Doc Raiross.

[00:19:43] You can find me at Doc Ross. I'm not hard to find at all.

[00:19:47] And then what I'm excited for over the first and the next 30 days is just we've got

[00:19:52] some really cool things happening.

[00:19:54] Right? So on the 20th, we're going to be supporting 100 families.

[00:19:57] So we're going to be providing toys, food, families with your cash stipend, right?

[00:20:03] Because one of the things that I remember as a kid and he was you go somewhere

[00:20:07] and somebody gave you a toy and appreciate it above it.

[00:20:09] But what we really needed was, you know, the light bill, right?

[00:20:13] So we could do our homework with lights and not candlelight.

[00:20:16] And so sometimes you just got to give people a resources and trust in the

[00:20:19] doing the right thing within. And so we want to be a blessing of families in that

[00:20:22] way. And so our goal is to give out about $30,000 across 100 families on

[00:20:27] a decent or 20th zone.

[00:20:29] Super excited about that. And the next year, you know, just a lot of really great

[00:20:35] programming. So we're going to be rolling out a program called Bosing Your

[00:20:39] Brunettes, which will be dropping workshops for professionals to come in and

[00:20:44] just touch up on things that they're interested in, things that they need.

[00:20:48] That can be anything from tax law and accounting to how to be a supervisor

[00:20:53] and communication under fire, right? So there, there these quick 90 minutes

[00:20:58] to three hour development opportunities that people can apply to their

[00:21:02] life, to their work in real time and deal with things that they may be facing.

[00:21:07] But learn the information and then have the tools to engage in those scenarios

[00:21:12] in a safe way with the right tools.

[00:21:15] Yeah, there's nothing more powerful than meeting community where they're at

[00:21:20] and then also providing tactical, you know, how to, you know, just had to

[00:21:26] go to the next level, had to be better. I think leadership is all about

[00:21:30] how you live. And so you are embodying that.

[00:21:35] You are doing a great job and I am proud of you.

[00:21:39] I'm going to be a plodding, like doing whatever we can to support.

[00:21:43] But it is so important to come together and think about, you know,

[00:21:49] how are we leaving legacy and how are we building that together?

[00:21:53] On January 15th, 2024, the Martin Luther King African American Heritage

[00:22:02] Brodyo of Champions will be held at the Denver Coliseum.

[00:22:06] The rodeo event presented by the Bill Pickett and the rotational rodeo

[00:22:11] is a wonderful tradition in Denver. The Bill Pickett and the rotational rodeo

[00:22:15] was founded by Louis Vasson in Denver and is celebrating 40 years in

[00:22:20] 2024. I spoke with Miss Bolleria Howard Cunningham, CEO of the rodeo

[00:22:26] about its significance in communities throughout the country.

[00:22:31] We discussed an ongoing effort to be in the rodeo in Los Angeles and

[00:22:35] Miss Bolleria addressed Miss Ernst surrounding the rodeos in

[00:22:38] portals and what it would mean to eliminate a positive, culturally

[00:22:43] relevant activity that is good love and enjoyed for generations.

[00:22:47] Here's a clip from my spectrum talk interview with Miss Bolleria,

[00:22:51] who just adores the men, women and children in

[00:22:54] the participating in the rodeo race and appreciates the Denver Community

[00:22:58] for supporting the beloved event throughout the years.

[00:23:02] You know, Louis Vasson, he went to a rodeo in Shia and Wyoming

[00:23:07] and when he was there observing the rodeo, he noticed he didn't see

[00:23:13] anybody that looked like him. So he came back and did a lot of research

[00:23:20] and found out that there were black cowboys and cowgirls all across

[00:23:25] the United States but they would not given the opportunity or the

[00:23:30] platforms to showcase their skills. So he thought being a promoter,

[00:23:36] I can do this and he decided he was going to do it and everybody told

[00:23:42] him he was crazy. It wouldn't last, it wouldn't be successful.

[00:23:47] You know, we are getting rid of this celebrate 40 years and

[00:23:52] 2024. So to all those nasiers, we say continue to be nasiers

[00:23:59] because we're very determined and we have proved that something

[00:24:05] great cannot be stopped. That's the fun of the rodeo as we go to

[00:24:12] different markets, seeing the people dress and the little kids and

[00:24:19] just everybody even though older people coming in their

[00:24:24] walkers and their wheelchairs and stuff but they're still dressed up

[00:24:29] and sitting there with pride. And it just makes you feel good

[00:24:36] that we've created something that embraces the community

[00:24:41] and make people very proud as we celebrate our black western

[00:24:46] heritage. I love that, I think that pride, that's a big word

[00:24:51] and it's very true. I remember attending and every time I

[00:24:57] attend actually, especially the little people, the little kids

[00:25:01] they just love it so much and they're ready, they're out there,

[00:25:05] they're confident and I love the fact that everyone from the participants

[00:25:09] to the audience is very proud and it's like you can feel the

[00:25:14] ownership of something that maybe at one time wasn't thought of

[00:25:18] as involving us. You know, when you talk about the little kids,

[00:25:24] we are very fortunate as we celebrate our 40th anniversary

[00:25:32] to also be celebrating 4 and 5 generations of people that have

[00:25:39] followed the bill pick it from the beginning. We have families

[00:25:44] that their parents grow them to the rodeo and the grandparents

[00:25:52] and now the great grandparents and you know, I get emails from

[00:25:57] people the time saying, please keep doing what you're doing

[00:26:02] because we raised our kids on the bill pick it rodeo and we

[00:26:06] want our kids and our grandkids to be able to raise their kids.

[00:26:12] So it makes you feel warm to know that we've created something

[00:26:18] that people are prideful of and cherish. They see this as they

[00:26:26] own this rodeo, it's their rodeo and I'm just proud to be a part of that.

[00:26:35] We've been working in partnership with the National Western

[00:26:40] Stock Show for 18 years. In 2021, I entered into a partnership with

[00:26:49] the professional bull riding the public car and yes, I am related

[00:26:56] that I entered into those partnerships because it reflects a couple

[00:27:04] things. It reflects the significance of the bill pick it

[00:27:10] and the emotional rodeo and it also reflects the importance of how

[00:27:16] the other organizations see us and want to be part of what we've created.

[00:27:24] So we are making an impact by bringing the country together and

[00:27:30] educating and entertaining everybody about the history of

[00:27:37] life, cowboys and cowgirls.