Owl Club exhibit spotlights Black excellence amid national efforts to censor Black history

Apr 05, 2025

NEWS

DENVER — The single-story, red-brick facade of the Owl Club’s headquarters doesn’t reveal much about the Black social club’s historic significance. Nestled in a neighborhood just a few blocks north of City Park, this Denver landmark is easy to miss if you don’t know what to look for.

The “Owl Club of Denver: Legacies of Excellence” exhibit at History Colorado aimed to change that.

Video: Carly Rose, Rocky Mountain PBS

The exhibit, which leaves the museum April 11, tells the story of the Owl Club, a social club founded in 1941 by eight Black businessmen in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. The club has been a staple in the city’s Black community for almost 85 years.

Spotlighting stories of Black excellence is especially important now, amid efforts to restrict how Black history is taught, said Acoma Gaither, associate curator of Black History at History Colorado.

After President Donald Trump left office in 2021, Republican lawmakers introduced bills in more than 40 states limiting educators’ abilities to teach Black history or discuss racism.

Two months into his second term, Trump signed an executive order which accused Smithsonian museums like the National Museum of African American History and Culture for “undermin[ing] the remarkable achievements of the United States.” The order gave Vice President JD Vance the power to review and restrict presentations and programs at Smithsonian museums.

Earlier this year, the Department of Defense temporarily removed training videos about the Tuskegee Airmen and information about Jackie Robinson’s military service from its website.

“There's so many attacks happening [on] Black history. That makes you wonder [if] there might be some power in it,” Gaither said.

The exhibit at History Colorado highlights many of the notable figures in Colorado — and American — history who were members of the Owl Club.

Among them are Omar D. Blair, a Tuskegee Airman and the first Black Denver Public Schools board president; politician Elvin R. Caldwell, the first elected Black city council member west of the Mississippi; and Condoleezza Rice, the first Black female Secretary of State and female National Security Adviser.

Many of the photographs featured in the History Colorado exhibit were captured by Denver photographer Burnis McCloud and are part of the Denver Public Library’s collection.

McCloud chronicled life in Denver’s Black community from the 1930s to the 1980s and is responsible for documenting much of that history.

“Sharing these stories is really good for young people to see themselves not in this stereotypical way,” Gaither said. “It's just a really good reminder that we've been achieving, regardless of all of these barriers that have been put in our way, and we're still doing it.”

In 1951, the Owl Club held its first debutante cotillion to honor the achievements of young Black women. Next year, the club will present its 75th class of debutantes.

The club’s debutante ball is similar to traditional European debutante cotillions, in which the debutantes wear white gowns and are escorted by a male relative or friend.

But instead of presenting the young women as eligible for marriage, the debutante ball celebrates their community contributions and scholastic success.

“When I look at these photos [in the exhibit,] I just understand and truly appreciate that these women were defying stereotypes put on young Black women at the time and even up to today,” Gaither said.

The first class of debutantes attended East High School and Manual High School. Now, the club receives nominations for candidates from more than 100 high schools in Denver and its surrounding counties.

Ronald Washington grew up in Five Points, and many of his parents’ friends were members in the club. An Owl Club member since 2002, Washington serves as the financial secretary and historian of the club.

He is also the lead instructor teaching the debutantes and their escorts the “Waltz of the Bells,” a traditional dance performed at the cotillion, choreographed by Owlette Ernestine Smith. Owlettes are the wives of Owl Club members.

Washington’s daughter was a debutante in 2005 and his granddaughter, a junior at East High School, will debut at next year’s cotillion.

“I look forward to seeing [the debutantes] and following them throughout their careers,” Washington said. “Even all the way back to 1951, we have debutantes who were presented who I'm still very good friends with. It just really makes you feel good to be associated with these young ladies after they've been presented.”

In 1960, the Owl Club bought the building that serves as its headquarters to this day. Gaither said the purchase of the building, located in a white middle-class neighborhood, by a group of Black men was a big deal at the time.

The building has hosted events like political campaigns and wedding receptions. History Colorado added the Owl Club of Denver to the National Register of Historic Places in December 2024. Washington attended the dedication ceremony held in February.

“With that, we've gained a lot of exposure. A lot of people have realized that we are still in existence, and it's an honor to still be here,” Washington said.

Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.