On Oct. 17, 1969, 14 African-American members of the University of Wyoming football team walked into coach Lloyd Eaton’s office to ask if they could wear armbands during their game the next day against BYU. They wanted to protest BYU and the Mormon Church’s policy banning African-Americans from joining its priesthood.
Within an hour, all 14 had been kicked off the team, although to this day the young men insisted they only wanted to request wearing armbands, not demand it.
Now, 50 years later, the Black 14, as they came to be known, is getting closure from that life-altering day. Sean Keeler’s story on the Black 14 looks at how, at last, the University of Wyoming is making amends and how those players view that effort, as well as the impact on their lives from those turbulent times.
Thanks for reading.
— Scott Monserud, Denver Post assistant managing editor/sports
How Wyoming’s Black 14 learned to forgive — but never forget
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Five of The Denver Post’s best stories this week
Rare but contentious: Late abortions and women who’ve had them
Abortions late in pregnancy — especially those in the third trimester — are rare, expensive and politically charged. Forty-three states place some restrictions on abortions after a certain point in pregnancy, but Colorado isn’t one of them. Yet.
Groups are gathering signatures to put a question to Colorado voters in November 2020 that would outlaw all abortions after 22 weeks except those to save the life of the mother. Read more from Anna Staver.
Denver Post listening tour: Aurora, home to powerful institutions, wants to harness its diversity
Colorado’s third-largest city has a population fast approaching 375,000, and nearly 20% of those residents were born on foreign soil. The city’s older urban blocks — and its aging strip malls — are full of ethnic eateries, thwarting common characterizations of most suburban areas. Read more from John Aguilar and Jon Murray here.
Past listening tour stops
- Grand Junction is looking outdoors for its future
- Pueblo is steeped in tradition, but a new leader hopes to grow this southern Colorado city
- Alamosa and the San Luis Valley see isolation as their greatest challenge — and strength
- Greeley sees a renaissance, but has its worries, too
- Leadville looks to diversify beyond “scrappy mining town”
- “Yuma County is a 21st-century community that respects people”
Colorado’s oldest craft brewery is downsizing, ending distribution and laying off 21 employees
Thursday, just a few months after celebrating its 40th anniversary, Boulder Beer Company announced it is shrinking operations, laying off 21 employees and ending widespread distribution, which means that its beer soon will be available only at its Boulder brewpub, Josie Sexton reports.
Ghost hunting: A night in a Colorado gold mine with paranormal investigators
Denver Post reporter Elizabeth Hernandez ventured into the old Country Boy Mine near Breckenridge with a team of all-female paranormal investigators. She came back with this gripping yarn that just might give you goosebumps. Read more.
RELATED: — The Know
Rockies roster series: Starting rotation resurgence revolves around Kyle Freeland
In the first of a five-part series, Patrick Saunders looks at the Rockies of 2020. Read more here and stay tuned for the rest of the series in print and at denverpost.com/rockies.
More of our best stories
+ Colorado Prop CC: What it means to give back your TABOR tax refund
+ Colorado Prop DD: Voter’s guide to sports betting ballot question
+ 2019 ballots dropped in Colorado on Friday. Here’s how to vote.
+ In waning days as governor, Hickenlooper pitched plan to tackle youth vaping. Polis and lawmakers took a different approach.
+ COMING NEXT WEEK: The Colorado Plate, a new video series highlighting local food
+ Colorado health exchange premiums dropping – by a lot
+ An Iraqi who worked for the U.S. military found safety in Colorado. In the future, others like him may not because of Trump refugee cap.
+ Aurora police chief leaving position on his own terms, but won’t completely rule out a return to policing
+ Body camera footage shows baton beating that prompted charges against Denver police sergeant
+ From StorageTek to Phillips 66 to Amazon and beyond: A new future coming into focus on prime Louisville site
+ What makes the 13th Floor Haunted House so scary? Science, thatap what. — The Know
+ Leading CBD producer makes big move to 400,000-square-foot facility in Broomfield
+ Brendan Bialy helped disarm a school shooter in May. Now he is a Marine.
+ Aurora mayor’s race: Mike Coffman faces old foe as national gun control group releases new ad
+ ICE facility must notify Aurora of contagious disease outbreaks, City Council decides
+ In Denver, nation’s top economists lower outlook for 2020
+ Colorado proposes running public health care option through private insurers
+ Get ready for 500 new 30-foot-tall cell poles around Denver’s neighborhoods
+ “This is groundbreaking”: Canine clinical trial for potential cancer prevention vaccine underway at CSU
+ Denver school board candidates debate whether district should stop closing schools or opening new ones
Photo of the week
Since we started this week’s Post Premium by looking to the past, we’ll wrap it up by looking toward the future. On Friday, teen climate activist Greta Thunberg appeared at a rally in Denver’s Civic Center and Denver Post photographer RJ Sangosti was there to cover it. He snapped this photo while she was waiting to speak. Read more about the event here.
