Lunch & Learn – Creating a Disturbance: Black Activism and Civil Rights in the Pikes Peak Region

Lunch & Learn
Creating a Disturbance: Black Activism and Civil Rights in the Pikes Peak Region
Wednesday, September 23
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Focused on the early-mid-twentieth century, this work examines how Colorado’s civil rights laws worked—and where they fell short—in protecting Black residents from the custom of racial segregation in public spaces. Focusing on local cases, particularly Juanita Hairston’s challenge to the Ute Theatre in the 1940s, and drawing on personal accounts, NAACP records, and court documents, it shows how Black Coloradans confronted discrimination when the law failed to protect them. By placing these local struggles within the broader Civil Rights Movement, this research challenges the idea that the fight for racial equality was limited to the American South. Ultimately, it highlights how Black Coloradans gave civil rights laws meaning through persistence, activism, and legal action, forcing businesses and communities to recognize rights that often existed on paper but not in practice.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Laura earned her B.A. in History, certificate for Civic Engagement through United States History, and her M.A. in History from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Her areas of interests span cultural and social histories, with particular academic focus on Indigenous history, Scottish history, and Civil Rights history.  Laura enjoys examining the role of storytelling in shaping historical understanding, and has been dedicated to uncovering and sharing meaningful historical narratives. She has served as a Research Intern at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum since 2025, where her work contributed to the development of the 2026 exhibit, Freedom to Thrive: The American Experiment in Colorado Springs.