Jack Kerouac visited Five Points when it was at its most vibrant, when it was the heart not just of Denver's African American community, but of the entire Rocky Mountain West, when the Rossonian Hotel and other jazz clubs in the area were must-stops for black entertainers crossing the country. As Kerouac wrote in On the Road:
At lilac evening I walked with every muscle aching among the lights of 27th and Welton in the Denver colored section, wishing I were a Negro, feeling that the best the white world had offered was not enough ecstasy for me, not enough life, joy, kicks, darkness, music, not enough night.
For the last few decades, though, this area simply has not had enough: not enough money, not enough attention. But that's now changing, and today a group that has been meeting for over a year to help plot a comeback in the area north/northeast of downtown will hold a community gathering/potluck to discuss the plan -- augmented by barbecue, a performance by Ballet Nouveau, and the installation of a Candy Chang Before I Die____ project.
See also: - Sonny Lawson Park: Welcome to the neighborhood - Eddie Maestas Park is an insult to the Ballpark pioneer's memory - Jack Kerouac's back, and Denver's literary scene is on a scroll - Homeless Diamond: The homeless play ball...
To read more about the work of the community group, go to the Community Coordinating District website. In the meantime, here are the details on today's event:
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
SHOW ME HOW
Newsletters
Follow @WestwordCulture
Or sign in with a social account:
FACEBOOK GOOGLE + TWITTER YAHOO!