Chronicles of Loss and Opportunity in Denver, Colorado: Constructing Urban Spatial Imaginaries Through School Desegregation

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Abstract

This paper explores the growth and development of Montbello, a community in Denver that blossomed after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Keyes, et al. v. School District No. 1, et al. (1973). Stakeholders in Montbello used a language of integration to promote new urban expansion during the 1970s. Homeowners with the Montbello Citizens’ Committee (MCC) joined the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) in opposition to the court’s desegregation policy on mandated bussing. By representing Montbello as a robust interracial community, the Montbello Citizens’ Committee argued that bussing was unnecessary. That is, prospective homeowners learned that in Montbello, they had the option to send their children to “naturally integrated” community schools.

Author

• Derek LeFebre, University of Colorado - Boulder