Profiles and narratives highlighting the people behind the politics, systems and issues in Colorado and around the world
Here and there
Deportation is only the beginning of the story Seated at his mother’s grave for the first time, Jose Luis Guerrero grieved not only for her, but also for his wife and children. Though still alive, they were thousands of miles away at home in Aurora. For almost 20 years, Guerrero, who goes by Luis, lived…
The unexplainable phenomenon
Block 1750 re-envisions annual ‘Murmuration’ performance Moving from behind his computer, Goodgold starts to dance to synthesized music. There’s a pause — and he waits for a live keyboard cue before he starts to move. As the music builds, played by Tyson Bennet, Goodgold tilts his head, snaps his arms out, pops up onto both…
Baladi dogs: A case for animal welfare
Walking down a Cairo street with an adopted stray dog can elicit a range of reactions, from surprise to rebuke. Their skittish behavior and curled-up tails make them easily distinguishable from the more preferred purebred pets. Commonly known as baladi dogs, these animals are subject to name-calling while their owners are often pulled into a verbal frenzy that questions…
Paying the price
When I first meet Juan de Dios García, he’s laughing. His dark eyes twinkle as his dimples indent and his smile broadens. But there is something else behind his eyes that belie his smile. Our conversation quickly takes a serious turn. As we sit down across from one another with a translator, he leans in,…
In lieu of a just system
New resource seeks to help ease adjustment after deportation If you’re returning to Honduras, consider covering up any tattoos and be able to explain them if asked — the tattoos might be the thing that puts you the most at risk. Once back in Mexico and Guatemala, try to blend in, not appearing too vulnerable…
Podcast: Unhoused
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, communities already struggling to provide services to the unhoused are seeking to end an enduring problem with new solutions: preventing evictions and exploring opportunities for safe lots, urban campgrounds and tiny homes in addition to the national Housing First strategy. Whether you live in Boulder or not, join host…
Too much to risk
Activists dig in against oil and gas development they claim threatens the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and nearby water supplies The first time Anna Lee Vargas visited the Sand Dunes, she cried. She was in kindergarten, on an end-of-the-year field trip, and had somehow lost a shoe. “It was eaten by the…
Statewide Parents Encouraging Parents Conference Changes Lives
Published at coloradoparent.com When Alison Seyler’s youngest son was diagnosed with autism at four years old, it was overwhelming. At first Seyler and her husband often felt alone as they tried to navigate everyday life. Then a neighbor left a flyer for the statewide Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP) conference on their porch, and it changed…
Lessons from Venezuela’s free fall
As a young man living in Venezuela, Jose Garcia remembers being woken up in the middle of the night by his mother to watch tanks storm the Miraflores Palace in the capital of Caracas. It was 1992, and the Venezuelan military, led by Hugo Chavez, was attempting a coup d’edat against the democratically elected President…
Worlds apart
Finding opportunity, and friendship, in Colorado As Rezwan Masud walked toward the waiting train, he heard someone come up behind him. Before he could turn, hands covered his eyes. He was startled, unsure of who it could be. After all, hardly anyone knew he was back in the U.S. Rezwan had taken the train in…
Angela K. Evans 