The Ross-Barnum Branch Library in the Barnum neighborhood may get a name change...if the community is interested.
The Denver Public Library is currently accepting community feedback on whether or not the library should be renamed. The effort is a result of DPL's research into its 125-year-old history after the 2020 murder of George Floyd by law enforcement and the social unrest and justice that stemmed from the incident.
Victoria Nava-Watson, the community engagement manager with DPL, said the organization began examining and researching the individuals who have libraries named after them. In that research, the Ross-Barnum Branch presented a red flag.
Frederick Ross is a Colorado business owner, who is also the namesake for the Ross-Cherry Creek Branch. Nava-Watson said limited information was found about him.
Then there's P.T. Barnum. The library was named after Barnum because of the Barnum and Barnum West neighborhood. He owned portions of land in both areas, though he never lived in Denver.
Barnum has a mixed past. He's hailed as being a legendary showman with the creation of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and other entertainment options that were affordable for low-income residents. He was also a vocal advocate of abolishing slavery and alcoholism.
But Barnum exploited African-Americans, other people of color and people with disabilities in the name of entertainment. He hosted several "freak shows" putting people on display like William Henry Johnson, an African-American man who may have had microcephaly, a condition that leaves a person with an abnormally small head.
He also "leased" Joice Heth, meaning he had a one-year "rental" agreement which lasted until her death. Barnum presented Heth as an extremely old woman who was a nurse for former President George Washington. After Heth's death, he sold tickets of a live autopsy of her body.
Though there's no record of Barnum owning slaves when he lived in the south (he's originally from Connecticut) but Barnum said he did and was violent with them.
Toward the end of Barnum's life, he expressed remorse for his actions. But scholars question the authenticity of his remorse.
Nava-Watson said once DPL completed their research, it was their job to let residents know who these buildings are named after.
"Half of that branch is named after P.T. Barnum, who has a complicated path that doesn't support and align with the library's core values," Nava-Watson said. "We have this responsibility to share this information with the community and to let the community decide if this is a name that we want to rename and really just create the space and opportunity to allow the community to share thoughts, feedback, concerns and just start this conversation."
DPL created a short video explaining Barnum's history and they created an anonymous survey asking residents what are their thoughts on a possible renaming.
Survey submissions are due by June 30 but so far Nava-Watson said the response has been mixed.
Some residents aren't interested in a change because they have long ties to the neighborhood and view the name as a "namesake." Others want the change because "names honor and celebrate" and they believe Barnum shouldn't be celebrated.
This isn't the first time DPL has renamed a library because of the original namesakes' past.
The Thunderbird Man Branch in Lincoln Park was once called the Byers Branch, named after William Byers. He was the founder of the Rocky Mountain News, who discriminated against Indigenous people through his news outlet and praised the Sand Creek Massacre, which left at least 200 members, mostly women, children and elders, of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes dead.
Residents chose to rename the branch in honor of John Emhoolah Jr., an Indigenous activist who spent 50 years advocating for Indigenous students. Emhoolah, a member of the Kiowa and Arapaho tribes, was a descendant of survivors of the Sand Creek Massacre.
Nava-Watson said anyone interested in participating can complete the survey online or in person at the branch, located at 3570 W. 1st Ave.
"We're just trying to make sure that we as an organization are doing our best to provide space and opportunity in challenging racial inequity and creating an inclusive and welcoming space in all of our branches," Nava-Watson said. "We're just really hopeful that the community engages with us and gives us that feedback or their thoughts so that we can continue to provide relevant and meaningful services."
