This Is [Not] Who We Are explores the gap between Boulder, Colorado's progressive self-image and the lived experiences of its small but resilient Black community. Boulder is emblematic of predominantly white communities that profess an inclusive ethic but live in a segregated reality. The film explores the intersecting issues of land use, affordability, racial and class-based segregation, youth issues, education, and policing, which combine to reveal deeply entrenched, if not entirely intended, structural inequalities that have reverberated through multiple generations.
University student Zayd Atkinson was cleaning up the grounds of his dorm— duties of his work-study job— when he was threatened by eight police officers with guns drawn. He lived to tell the story that many Black men often do not survive. As the riveting body-cam footage of this encounter went viral, Atkinson's story sparked a reckoning for this progressive town as the implicit biases of its institutions and the continuation of its broader history were laid bare.
Although Black people have continuously lived in Boulder for nearly 150 years, their history has been largely marginalized. Black families faced discrimination in various fields throughout Boulder, and by the 1920s the city became a rallying point for the Ku Klux Klan. Although the particulars of Boulder's history are unique, its social trajectory into the 21st century is representative of many other cities across the US that struggle to reconcile their liberal policies with the reality of their communities.
By sharing the voices of Boulder's Black community, with those featured ranging in age from 12 to 78, the film shows how deeply the roots of institutional racism are embedded and opens a pathway for dialogue, insight, and positive change. Some stories are searing while others are hopeful. Seeking to open a space for dialogue among Boulderites and those in similar cities, This Is [Not] Who We Are asks if a more equitable and diverse future is possible not just in Boulder, Colorado, but across America.