When it was first founded in 1868, the Shorter AME Church was actually known as the First Colored Methodist Church. Starting as a humble log cabin, it has grown in size and changed locations throughout the years. In 1880, the same year as the Anti-Chinese Riot, the church was relocated to a more central area and renamed Shorter AME Church. The general public fervently disapproved of the existence of a Black congregation in their community, and as a result of the condemnation and harassment, the church was forced to move several more times. Unsurprisingly, the public remained hostile and on April 9, 1925 the church was burnt down by the Ku Klux Klan.   The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is an American white supremacist and terrorist organization whose history includes two distinct waves of activity. The first KKK was created in Tennessee in 1866 and was not active in Colorado. A chapter was not established in the Centennial State until 1915, after the group’s second nationwide establishment. By the mid-1920s, the KKK had risen to power in Colorado, where it gained control of the state legislature, the governor’s office, the Denver mayor’s office, the Denver police department, and many members of the statewide Protestant community. The KKK did this by exploiting local ethnic divisions and prejudice with its message of “100% Americanism.” (G)

Undeterred by the rampant racism they faced, Shorter AME Church relocated to its fifth and final location on 23rd and Washington where it still stands today. Now it serves as a historical Denver landmark and a testament to the resilience of the Black community.  In the 1980s the church moved to a new location north of City Park, and its building became home to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance - an ensemble celebrating its 50th year in 2020 that uses the universal language of dance to honor the African Diaspora, explore the human condition, champion social justice, unite people of all ages and races, and ultimately celebrate the complexity of life through movement. (C) (D) (E)