Letters to the Editor are part of Yellow Scene Magazine’s Opinion section. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent a reported news position. At Yellow Scene, opinion pieces speak freely, challenge assumptions, and say the quiet parts out loud.
Submitted by Justin Brooks, former Mayor of Erie, CO
As I do most mornings, I read the newspaper and reflect before starting my day. This morning, the tenor of this election cycle is weighing heavily on me.
The opinion piece below discusses Colorado’s history of racial exclusion, including housing covenants that barred Black families from living in certain neighborhoods except as domestic workers. It is difficult to read that history without thinking about the messages we send today about who belongs in our communities.
Colorado’s unique history includes racial terror (Opinion)
For me and my family, getting involved in local politics was about helping build a community where anyone who wishes to be part of it has an opportunity to belong. I believe a welcoming community is a richer, more vibrant place to live and raise children. That belief guided my service, and it still does.
Erie has long been a bedroom community for people commuting to Boulder, Denver, and elsewhere along the Front Range. Bringing more shopping, dining, and services into town gives us opportunities to meet our needs closer to home and keep more of our spending here.
A sustainable community also needs housing choices. People starting out, neighbors hoping to downsize, and those whose work keeps our town running should have options beyond purchasing another large single-family home.
Erie’s growth did not begin when I became mayor. I took part in trying to shape our remaining growth responsibly, including planning for what it will cost to maintain roads, utilities, and public amenities as they age. Quality commercial investment and a wider range of housing options are part of that work. I also have no interest in seeing Erie become simply the neighborhood behind a massive box store along I-25.
There is plenty of room for honest disagreement about density, infrastructure, and public spending. Those discussions deserve specifics and a willingness to listen.
Yesterday, our current mayor endorsed his preferred slate of Town Council candidates by warning of a return to a “progressive agenda,” invoking “Mayor Brooks’ years,” and describing my tenure as focused on Erie’s “urbanization.”
Mayor Moore’s post on the large Erie, Colorado, Facebook page. His resignation takes effect Nov. 11, 2026.
As a Black man who served this community as mayor and is raising his family here, I hear a racial dog whistle in that framing. Having my leadership invoked as a warning about what Erie might become is deeply troubling to me.
I am not suggesting that disagreement over housing policy is inherently racist. I am saying that language matters, especially when it links a Black leader to a supposedly threatening change in a community’s character. The people hearing those words bring their own experiences to them, just as I do.
If the concern is a development, name it. If it is an expenditure, identify the amount and the funding source. If it is a policy, explain what should have been done differently. Give residents something concrete to consider instead of something vague to fear.
I find the idea that people who cannot afford Erie should simply live somewhere else arrogant and insulting. Some of those people already live here. They are our neighbors, our children becoming adults, and people whose work supports the amenities we enjoy.
The Denver Post article is a reminder that decisions about housing can have consequences long after the people making them have left office. That history deserves thoughtful consideration as we make our own decisions about Erie’s future.
I remain proud to call Erie home. I want our children to inherit a town that can pay its bills, maintain its infrastructure, support its businesses, and make room for people at different stages of life.
I also want them to know that their family’s contribution to this community is valued, and that their belonging here is never in question.
That is what I worked toward as mayor. It is what I still believe in.
#ErieColorado #CommunityMatters #HousingForAll #InclusiveCommunities #ColoradoHistory