Correction (Oct. 4, 2025): This article previously misstated Council Member Taishya Adams’s position. She serves on the City of Boulder Council, not with Boulder County.

Of the 325,815 residents in Boulder County, Colorado, 1.4% of the population identifies as Black according to the World Population Review. From those residents, a few leaders emerge, making up an even smaller percentage of Boulder County, Colorado.

A little over a century ago, the University of Colorado (CU Boulder) campus was predominantly composed of white students and was primarily male. In 1914, a black male student graduated from the university, and four years later, Lucile B. Buchanan, the first black woman, followed suit. In 1924, CU Boulder Law School had its first African American graduate. 

While those milestones seem to be part of a distant past, one may wonder how much progress modern-day Boulder has made in mending the social disconnection between diverse communities in recent history.

In an effort to explore this question, we at Yellow Scene Magazine interviewed half a dozen black leaders in Boulder county.

We found that today, many black leaders in Boulder County experience varying levels of harassment, demonization, and racism during their time in service. Yet despite the challenges, these leaders continue to rise and serve their communities.

Every leader starts with a desire to see change in their community, and that was certainly true for leaders such as Representative Junie Joseph and Penfield W. Tate III. 

Junie Joseph is a State Representative for House District 10 in the Colorado General Assembly. She also served on the City Council and later as Mayor Pro Tempore.

“When I first moved here, I came as a student. I started law school, and I was having issues finding housing.” Joseph told Yellow Scene.

Joseph saw a need for affordable housing in Boulder County became a lawmaker to help remediate the problem. 

Before she was a representative, Joseph served on the Community Corrections Board, the Boulder County Housing and Human Services, and volunteered at a homeless shelter.  Joseph said that at that time, the work that she did was reactive, where she helped people after they had already experienced a social challenge such as homelessness, incarceration, or unemployment. 

“How do we alleviate certain social ills before they happen? How do we ensure community members have access to housing, instead of them having to commute to Boulder, an hour away?” Joseph told Yellow Scene. 

Making changes in Boulder before the residents required help and intervention was a key reason why Joseph decided to run for the city council.

Penfield W. Tate III is a lawyer and the son of Penfield II, who was the first African American mayor of Boulder County. With over forty years of experience, Tate founded his law firm, Tate Law. 

Boulder’s first black councilman, Penfield Tate, finds out about his electoral victory

Tate was motivated to become a leader in his community after watching his father’s resilience as an elected official. His father was the first black city councilperson in Boulder from 1972 to 1976 and was elected mayor in 1974. 

“When I graduated from law school and came back to Colorado, I got active in a number of community-based organizations and began to work in the community.” Tate said.

Tate went on to serve four years in the House as the State Representative for District 8, over six years in the Colorado General Assembly, and two years in the Senate as the State Senator for District 33. 

Each leader we interviewed came from modest beginnings, driven by the influence of those around them or the challenges facing their communities. Although each leader came from unique circumstances and different parts of the county, there was shared thread throughout most of their stories.

In Boulder County and across Colorado, several Black leaders spoke of a particular kind of racism that was subtle, insidious, and difficult to name. Covert racism, they explained, often hides behind polite smiles or well-meaning policies.

Annett James is the former president of the Boulder County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which the executive committee voted to dissolve earlier this Spring. 

“First of all, let’s just be clear that racism is very alive and well in Boulder County. And I think the difference here is Boulder has really hijacked an attitude that is progressive and it’s liberal, and therefore, the racism that exists in Boulder, I would argue, is a more refined racism. It’s not that blunt force that you know, people recognize immediately,” James told Yellow Scene.

Having lived in Boulder for nearly 46 years, James believes that the demographics certainly play a role. She has experienced countless instances of microaggressions and refined racism in her community. People often mistake her for a visitor or guest in Boulder County, even after she has resided here for over four decades.  One example of subtle racism that James has encountered is seemingly concerned strangers asking her if she is lost when she is walking the marked path on the trails in Boulder. One could argue that the negative stereotypes that shape those interactions can leave a bad taste in one’s mouth. 

“It happens every day. Ask any black person, and they’ll tell you how many times they’ve been pulled over. They’ll tell you how they were followed in the market, or on a trail.” James said.

According to James, when a small percentage of the population is people of color, people don’t necessarily have a working knowledge of black people.

“And then you look at inclusion. Well, that’s how you’re going to treat someone, right? Yeah, to be included is [about] how you are being treated. And I would argue that Boulder falls short when it comes to inclusion.”  James told Yellow Scene 

James believes that the dissolution of the NAACP Boulder County was an example of overt racism, the opposite of subtle racism. 

“To have a city government that believes that they can go inside of a non-profit, a civil rights organization, and basically finagle with that, that is just the ultimate [act]. And I would argue that the city would not have done that to an organization that was not black.” James said.

Taishya Adams is a City Council Member for the City of Boulder, serving a term from 2023 to 2026. She also serves on the Colorado Office of Tourism’s Destination Stewardship Council and was the first African American woman to serve as a commissioner to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

When asked about instances of racism in her time of service, she said: “I have received emails with comments like go back to Africa, N-word, […] So racial slurs, there’s also been incidents where information has been withheld, kind of finding out about things after it already happened.” Another form of discrimination that Adams has faced has been navigating the stereotype that the black population is a monolith. She holds that the Black diaspora is on a spectrum encompassing various socioeconomic, linguistic, and geographic groups. 

“How do we ensure that anyone who is discriminated against receives the full support of our community, of our council, ensuring their safety for themselves, their family, their friends, their peers. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and that includes within the boundaries and city limits of Boulder,” Adams told Yellow Scene.

Justin Brooks is the former mayor of Erie, Colorado, who served from April 2022 to January 2025. 

When Brooks was running for mayor, he received various threats, including an instance where, allegedly, someone sent an anonymous letter to the chief of police, to all council members, and to the town staff threatening to expose his domestic affairs if he did not withdraw from the race. 

“At the end of the letter, it said, ‘We have to get these colored out of here,’” Brooks told Yellow Scene. “People would put dog crap in the back of my pickup truck. They would put used condoms outside of my house, on the sidewalk, things like that.” 

Following a meeting in April 2022, former political opponent Ryan Kenward filed a complaint with the Colorado Ethics Commission, claiming that Brooks encouraged Committee members to hold a vote on funding for a non-profit in which he was involved, alleging an unethical conflict of interest. Brooks told Yellow Scene that he believed Kenward’s actions were motivated by racism and homophobia.

“The investigation was concluded back in December. It showed I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t break any rules, […] It dragged on for over three years. It caused personal damage to my reputation. It caused me to miss out on employment opportunities. I’ve been laid off from my position at my company,” Brooks told Yellow Scene.

The Colorado Ethics Commission has since dismissed the ethics complaint, with prejudice, blocking the possibility of anyone filing it again. While the decision does not directly inform whether the complaint was warranted, it does provide some context of the reality of a black leader being visible and targeted in local politics. 

Tim Barnes is a Councilman to the City of Lafayette. He completed a four-year term from 2019 to 2023 and has been reelected as Councilor until 2027.  He serves on the Colorado Communities for Climate Action (CC4CA), the Senior Advisory Board, and the Audit Committee.  He, like many other black leaders, has experienced racism.

“There was a single incident where I was out with a friend, and we met two other people that we were hanging out with, and the police came to the car we were sitting in because there was marijuana in the car, and they were smoking,” Barnes said. 

The police allegedly questioned the driver and let them go without a penalty, yet were especially interested in information about Barnes, despite him not partaking in smoking or other disturbances.

“The only thing they wanted to know was if they had any information about the black guy. And I was like, wow, what? So at that point, I was so mad,” Barnes told Yellow Scene.

Through a friend’s connection, Barnes then emailed the Chief of Police regarding the incident, who allegedly initially denied the reality of Barnes’ experiences and later apologized for what happened, explaining that the department had some new officers and that some training needed to be administered.

The experience of racism leaves many black leaders with an emotional and mental toll that they must manage in their everyday lives. Many find comfort in the simplest pursuits, such as exercise, community,  family, friends, mentorship, and meditation.

When it comes to the racism that Barnes has experienced, He told Yellow Scene, “They made me hesitate in continuing to do what I was doing in leadership roles or to participate and pick my words very carefully.”

Barnes explained that white fragility is something he often has to be mindful of in various settings. 

“I sometimes diminish my viewpoint, trying to take care of everybody in the space, and make sure that I’m not being that angry black person in the room. So listening and then trying to pick my words carefully enough so that if I say something, it doesn’t trigger people to get defensive.” Barnes said. 

Barnes manages the toll through exercise, engaging in conversation with his family and friends, and seeking other people’s perspectives on what’s happening. Representative Junie Joseph believes that people of color are strong and can overcome adversity due to the early experiences they had in a long ancestry of servitude.

“You know, black people in this country have experienced 246 years of slavery, over 89 years of Jim Crow. So we are a resilient people.” Joseph told Yellow Scene. 

When it comes to finding community despite the racism that Annett James has experienced, she told Yellow Scene., “So it [NAACP] has provided an opportunity for people to connect in a really close and supportive way. You know, I would not have gotten to know these people at this level had I not agreed to chair the organization and work so closely with them.”

Black graduation, an event held in the past by Boulder NAACP. Former president James can be seen on the left.

Not every leader believes that racial bias in Boulder County has negatively impacted their leadership experience. One leader views their experiences quite differently, through a lens of positivity.

Representative Junie Joseph told Yellow Scene: “I’m not a product of racism and structural violence. I would say I’m more the exception to that rule.”

Joseph explains she recognizes the reality of others and does not discount people who experience racism, sexism, and other social ills.

Representative Joseph is a black woman who was born in Haiti. She came to this country as an adolescent, moved to Boulder, and joined the city council within a year. About five years later, she became a state representative. 

“So I can’t sit here and tell you that racism has kept me down. But does it happen? Yes. I can’t discount people who experience racism. I just don’t have that same experience[…] I just think somehow I have been lucky enough to experience a side of the community where I feel supported,” Joseph told Yellow Scene. 

Joseph explains that she tries not to talk too much about the discomfort, even though she has faced some challenges as a black woman.

“I think Michelle Obama said this: ‘When you are a servant leader, or you are in the business of serving people, you don’t center yourself. You center people’.” Joseph said Yellow Scene 

Other leaders navigate serving their community and making progress while also struggling with racial bias and discrimination that negatively affect their experience. 

Black leaders have accomplished  much in the Boulder and surrounding communities despite the  systemic barriers they face. 

Penfield Tate said he is proud to have sponsored a bill that amended the Colorado Medical Records Act to give patients control over their medical records, including those related to mammograms and X-rays. He also advocated for affordable housing, criminal justice reform, and LGBTQ +.

“Every year I served, I carried legislation to establish penalties for hate crimes, enhance penalties for people who were the victims of criminal activity because of their sexual orientation,” Tate told Yellow Scene. 

The LGBTQ+ community supported Tate throughout the seven years he carried the legislation, and it later became law after Tate’s time in service. 

“I never wavered in supporting it, because I believed in the cause when I served in the General Assembly.” Tate said.

During her time in office, Representative Junie Joseph worked on legislative achievements related to housing and renter protection, environmental protection, keeping children in school, and criminal justice reform.

“Every year, I pass a piece of renters’ protection legislation. In my first year, I passed a bill that would require a 30-day mandatory mediation before you kick someone out if they have SSI (Supplemental Security Income), SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance), and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).” Joseph told Yellow Scene

Joseph is proud of the housing and renters protection legislation passed as a way to help reduce homelessness. 

“And how do we prevent homelessness? We have to keep people housed. And that’s something that is extremely important to me,” She said.

Councilwoman Taishya Adams has focused her resources on climate and cultural resilience in her first 19 months in office. 

“I think, from a climate perspective, I have been most proud of extending the climate resilient tent to include agriculture and how we grow food, ensuring our food quality, just ensuring we’re having conversations and we’re investing with our values around, you know, ensuring sustainability now and into the future.” Adams told Yellow Scene.

Councilman Tim Barnes took office, and the COVID-19 pandemic started shortly after. Around the same time, the city had a ransomware attack, and George Floyd and Brianna Taylor were killed.

“I’m proud of the fact that the council and I were able to manage all three of those incidents, and come out the other side without major problems in the city,” Barnes told Yellow Scene.

Former Erie Mayor Justin Brooks is proud of the economic growth, public safety, and housing affordability he achieved during his tenure. 

“In the two and a half years that I was mayor, we increased our business sales tax revenue by 30%, which was a huge increase, and […]. We invested over $100 million cash in our streets, water treatment facilities, and the core infrastructure items that help our city,” Brooks told Yellow Scene.

“I was able to obtain both federal and state grants for the first affordable housing project in 25 years. That initiative created 35 for-sale affordable homes in town,” Brooks said 

Annett James, the former president of the Boulder NAACP, accomplished some meaningful work during her tenure.

“We [NAACP Boulder] did really big programs to involve the whole community. And people are saying, well, Juneteenth doesn’t look the same [this year].” James told Yellow Scene

James also worked on scholarship and financial advocacy, helping to create the Joan Washington Scholarship Fund and the Charles and Mildred Nilon Scholarship, which fund the education of students in the community.

Black leaders urge the young generation of black individuals in Boulder to show up and serve their community. The task may be daunting, but it is a cause worth the effort. 

“The world is run by those who show up. The easy thing to do is to glide through life and take care of yourself and expect everything around you to take care of itself. The hard thing to do is show up for your family, show up for your community, and show up for others.” Tate said. 

For those who might hesitate to step into a role of leadership because of the fear of being discriminated against, Tate said, “It’s even more important that you show up, because racism is not going to be eliminated just by everyone sitting back, hoping it goes away sometime. It’s an ongoing, persistent fight.”

James advises young aspiring leaders to seek a mentor, learn their history, question everything, travel, and get involved in their community. 

“Don’t be afraid of being black. It’s a beautiful thing, and we still have to tell our children that being black is beautiful and it’s intelligent,” James said. “Know your craft, and stand up for it, and that will set you apart.”

Black leaders have called for changes that could benefit inclusion in the Boulder community. A visible black business structure, proportional or representative leadership, provision for physical spaces for Black people, and a more inclusive and equitable community are some of the suggested improvements for Black people in the community. 

“Even communities with progressive ideals and opinions can become conservative if they stick to only a certain perception of what is progressive, of what is liberal.” Tate said.

“Boulder still thinks of itself as liberal, but does not see some of the microaggressions and systemic racism that exist in the county and in the city.” Tate said, “I like to say as human beings, we’re all works in progress, and as a result, our communities are perpetually works in progress. Boulder is a work in progress.”

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The post What It Takes to Be a Black Leader in Boulder appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.