The Colorado Dream
The Colorado Dream: Stories of Coloradans who are overcoming obstacles to create a better life for themselves and their families in an effort to achieve the American Dream.
Ending the Hate State
Colorado is considered one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly states in the country, but it wasn’t always as accepting. In 1992, Colorado voters approved Amendment 2 which prohibited protections for queer people in the state. Four years later, the Supreme Court overturned the amendment. In the nearly three decades since, Colorado has done a 180 and is now known for its progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights and laws.This series investigates this dark time in the state’s history and uncovers the activism and legislation that followed. We’ll share the stories of LGBTQ+ people and the allies who want to make the Centennial State a welcoming place for all.
Colorado Community College System is the underwriting sponsor for Season 4 of The Colorado Dream.
Colorado is known as one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly states in the country. But it wasn't always that way. In 1992, voters passed an amendment to the state constitution that labeled Colorado "The Hate State" and sparked a landmark legal battle for gay rights.
The number of Pride celebrations are growing across Northern Colorado but in some communities it's still a struggle to hold these events. This includes in Weld County where a local librarian - and their friends - took over organizing Greeley Pride after it was cancelled.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Amendment 2 in 1996, Colorado has emerged as a leader for LGBTQ+ rights and laws this includes ensuring transgender and non-binary people have access to the health care they need. Plus a Northern Colorado medical recsidency program is normalizing HIV care in a primary care clinic.
Once known as the Hate State, Colorado has become more accepting of LGBTQ+ people. Now, heated exchanges over gender identity are playing out in school districts across the state. Some are adopting gender inclusive guidelines, outlining how to support transgender and non-binary students. How and when to involve parents is up for debate.
In the final story in our series, “The Colorado Dream: Ending the Hate State,” we ask Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a police chief and a long-time legislative aide: Where does Colorado stand today with the "Hate State" label?
Past Seasons
Season 3: Housing Wanted
-
In the newest season of The Colorado Dream, we examine the affordable housing crisis in mountain resort communities where land and inventory are scarce. -
Jennifer Coombes/KUNCEpisode 1: There is a housing crisis in Colorado’s mountain resort communities. It’s left longtime locals, like 29-year-old Summit County resident Javier Pineda Rosas, unable to find a stable living situation. A recent survey taken by county residents shows just how dire the situation has become. The county will need over 2,300 rental and for-sale units - at all price points - to meet the housing demand. -
Episode 2: Breckenridge is a little over five square miles. Despite its size, preserving the past is a priority—the town has almost 249 Historic District structures and seven historical exhibits and museums. Preservation also is an important part of the town’s plan to curb the housing crisis, now and in the future. Is it working? -
Episode 3: Steamboat Springs nurse Sanaya Sturm wants to buy a home. She’s put in over a dozen offers but gets outbid by cash offers, or the house she wanted is converted into a short-term rental. Meanwhile, the local housing authority wants to build over 2,000 homes by 2040. Will this plan solve the housing crisis for her and thousands of other residents? -
Episode 4: Steamboat Springs created three different zones to regulate short-term rentals, including a red zone where no new permits for those rentals can be issued. Three people living within that zone share their experiences with how the regulations have shaped their lives. -
Episode 5: A lack of affordable housing is causing a severe staffing crisis in schools in Eagle County, prompting the school district to break into the affordable housing development business. -
Episode 6: The town of Breckenridge is building a new neighborhood for local workers. But with just 61 units for sale, only a small group of residents will end up with a home. Plus, Summit County is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service on a ‘first-of-its-kind' housing development that’s been 60 years in the making.
Season 2: Newcomers Welcome
-
Stephanie Daniel/KUNCIn Aurora, Colorado about one in five residents is foreign born. The city created a plan called “Aurora is open to the world” and partnered with dozens of organizations that provide services to immigrants and refugees. But is the plan helping those most in need? -
Courtesy: Salwa Mourtada BambaThe Black immigrant population in Colorado is growing faster than anywhere else in the U.S. They come from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond, and many settle in Aurora, where about one in five residents is foreign born. A lot of them have overcome great challenges to emigrate here, including Salwa Mourtada Bamba. -
Stephanie Daniel/KUNCAurora created an integration plan to help immigrants and refugees succeed. What does that plan look like? Meanwhile, more than 15 years earlier, Salwa Mourtada Bamba gets a job and enrolls at the local community college as she settles into her new life in Aurora. -
Stephanie Daniel/KUNCThe Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode three looks at efforts by two educational institutions and some of the unique challenges facing first and second-generation African students. -
Stephanie Daniel/KUNCThe Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode four examines the relationship between Black African immigrants and African Americans. It also shares how Salwa Mourtada Bamba and other Black immigrants in Aurora identify themselves. -
Stephanie Daniel/KUNCG-Michael came to the U.S. to go to college in 1995 and then moved to Aurora five years later. She has owned a liquor store and a home health agency. Now, she works as an interpreter for medical and law offices, schools and the community. She also performs Ethiopian coffee ceremonies at events around Aurora, including the city’s annual Global Fest. -
Stephanie Daniel/KUNCThe Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome episode five explores what stands in the way of Aurora being a welcoming home for all immigrants. Also, Salwa Mourtada Bamba achieves one more big milestone. -
KUNCKUNC hosted a live community event and panel discussion to talk about the themes explored in The Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome podcast. -
Stephanie Daniel/KUNCThe Colorado Dream: Newcomers Welcome Bonus Episode Two explores entrepreneurship within Aurora's immigrant communities. Foreign-born residents have higher rates of entrepreneurship than those born in the U.S. Aurora supports these business owners as part of its immigrant integration plan. -
Stephanie Daniel/KUNCAurora has a large foreign born population and some of them turn to local ethnic media outlets for news and to stay informed about their home countries. There are over three dozen ethnic media organizations that serve the city and the greater metro Denver area. They are print, digital and broadcast outlets that publish in many different languages including English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese and Polish.
Season 1: Career Education
-
Lottie Wilson/Westminster Public SchoolsJobs in Colorado are changing, and now, an increasing number require a college degree or credential. The Colorado Dream: Career Education examines how a small metro Denver school district is playing a greater role in training tomorrow's workforce. -
Stephanie Daniel / KUNCWestminster Public Schools is one of the smallest school districts in metro Denver and has only one comprehensive high school. Westminster High School, or Westy as it's fondly called, houses the district's Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. In 2019, the district received a CTE grant from the state which paid for Wolf Bites, a food truck run by culinary students. This episode follows them as they prepare for their first paid catering gig and features a video cinema arts student who helped produce the school's Wolf Bites video documentary. -
Stephanie Daniel / KUNCBiomedical Science is the most popular Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway at Westminster High School in Westminster, Colorado. Biomedical Innovations is the final of the four year-long classes. Last semester, students studied how dementia affects the brain and created wellness plans to treat these patients. This episode follows three teens who will be first-generation college students. They are using the Biomedical Science and Health Occupations pathways to prepare for college and careers in the medical field. -
Stephanie Daniel / KUNCWestminster, Colorado began as a small farming community when the first settler arrived in 1870. Today, it is the state’s eighth-largest city. Even though it’s part of the sprawling, urban metro Denver area, Westminster has held onto its agricultural roots. There’s still a working farm about three miles from downtown. So it’s not surprising Westminster High School has a robust agriculture program. This episode features the school’s Career and Technical Education agriculture pathway and two students who’ve found success in the urban jungle. -
Stephanie Daniel / KUNC“Tomorrow Starts Today,” is the slogan for Westminster High School’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. The school offers 13 CTE career pathways that are designed to give students both job training and education to prepare them for future success. This episode features current and former students from the aerospace engineering and cybersecurity classes who want to work in some of Colorado’s fastest growing industries.
