Denver7 | Your Voice
On Friday, May 2 – Denver7 took our newscasts live on the road highlighting the stories impacting Five Points, sharing the concerns and hopes of neighbors while shining a spotlight on the community's rich history. After live, on-location newscasts all morning and at 5 and 6 p.m., some of our neighbors in Five Points sat down with Denver7 evening anchor Shannon Ogden to share their story:
Check out videos and stories from that day below and be sure to make your own voice heard by sharing with Denver7 a story idea or perspective from your own Colorado community. Our plan is to send Denver7 anchors and reporters to neighborhood across the area to have a conversation with you about what matters.
'There's so many people we need to celebrate in this community'
Denver's Five Points neighborhood is a vibrant tapestry woven from threads of history, culture, and resilient community members. Its cultural significance reflects a broader narrative of how a neighborhood changes and how the people within remember the past while embracing the future
Franklin Stiger's Afro Styling Barbershop opened over four decades ago in Five Points.
During its heyday, when hairstyles like Jheri curls and naturals were all the rage, the barbershop was a gathering place for the community.
"I hate to leave. I love what I'm doing. I love the people," said Franklin Stiger, the owner of an Afro Styling Barbershop that's operated in Five Points for decades.
Denver7's Colin Riley spoke to business owners, residents and historians on the people and places to celebrate as Five Points undergoes change. You can watch his report in the video player below.
A cornerstone of the neighborhood’s rich heritage is the Black American West Museum, where portraits of influential figures — doctors, leaders, and business owners — tell the story of those who built Five Points into a pivotal hub for the Black community.
Five Points stands as a proud beacon of cultural heritage, intricately tied to the identity of those who call it home, ensuring it continues to be a place of connection, celebration, and hope.
Denver7 | Your Voice
How community leaders are preserving Five Points history amid new development
Five Points, a historic neighborhood in Denver with a rich history, is also going through some major transformation. New apartments, restaurants, shops and developers are moving into the area. At the same time, there’s an equally powerful group of people working to make sure the history is preserved.
"150 years of continuous history": Five Points business owners discuss neighborhood's past and present
Owning a business in Denver takes a certain amount of endurance, and for business owners in Denver’s Five Points neighborhoods who grew up in the area, that endurance has transformed into resilience. As the Denver7 news team prepared for a special on-location newscast in Five Points, several neighborhood business owners shared with anchor Micah Smith their personal experiences with its history, current challenges, and everyday happenings
During our visit, Denver7 | Your Voice sat with community members who repeatedly told us they are worried about the lack of economic development in Five Points.
“I can count on one hand how many black-owned businesses are still just specifically in this area,” said Derron Turner, sitting in Welton Street Cafe.
A week after our Denver7 | Your Voice special, Denver7's Natalie Chuck went back to Five Points to follow up on those concerns. She took those frustrations straight to Denver City Councilman Darrell Watson (District 9), who represents the neighborhood:
'The epicenter of Black consciousness'
People in Welton Street Cafe highlight what the community loves about their neighborhood and the challenges the area faces.
"You come in and you know who you're going to be around," said Derron Turner, one of the cafe's regulars. "You know you're going to be around people that, in one way or another, look like you and understand things from some of the same value spaces as you do." The restaurant is typically bustling with business from neighborhood locals.
"It's the epicenter of Black consciousness, Black commerce, Black business, Black holistic thinking," said Rodrick Freeman, who lives in Five Points.
'I think the entire community felt just a real sense of pride'
Air Force Lt. Col. John Mosley was born in Denver in 1921 and grew up in the Five Points neighborhood, where he attended Manual High School. Thousands and thousands of great athletes and people have come through Manual's doors since it opened in 1892.
But none more important or impactful than Mosley. Denver7's Lionel Bienvenu shares his story in the video player below.