Seeking Grace: Black Alumnae at the University of Denver

Black Society in Denver

Many early Black alumnae (1900-1945) had connections to Denver’s small but tight-knit network of Black women’s clubs and organizations. Denver was de facto (in fact) rather than de jure (by law) segregated, and Black clubwomen were a key part of the social fabric and safety net for the Black community in the city, which often did not provide key social services to its citizens of color.

Clubs often had the motto “Lifting as We Climb,” which was a nod to “racial uplift” and the goal of the clubs to improve the whole of the Black community’s social and political status.