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To the Proprietors and Managers of
Theaters:
Your attention is called to the unjust and pernicious habit of segregating colored citizens
into the most undesirable seats in your theaters, regardless of their cleanliness, intelligence,
and the uniform price in the portion of the house where they purchase seats. If they refuse to
be segregated they are insulted and told to get their money back and otherwise annoyed if
they insist upon their legal rights to sit in desirable seats such as they have paid for. To refuse to sell tickets to any part of your theater or to practice unfair seating on account of race
or color is an open violation of the laws of Colorado, to which we will have to appeal if such
shameful treatment does not cease.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAW OF COLORADO:
Mills' Annotated Statutes, Vol. 3, Chapter 27, Page 209, Civil Rights Law.
That all persons within the jurisdiction of said State shall be entitled to the full
and equal enjoyment of all accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges of
inns, restaurants, eating houses, barber shops, public conveyances on land or water,
theaters and all other places of public accommodation and amusement, subject only to
the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all citizens.
Violation Penalty.—That any person who shall violate any of these provisions
of the foregoing sections by denying any citizen except for reasons applicable alike to
all citizens, of every race and color, regardless of color or race, the full enjoyment of
all the conditions, or by aiding or inciting such denial, shall for every such offense forfeit or pay a sum of not less than fifty dollars ($50) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500) to the person aggrieved thereby, to be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction in the county where said offense was committed; be deemed guilty
of a misdemeanor; and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in any sum not less
than ten dollars ($10) or more than three hundred dollars ($300) or shall be imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Also Senate Bill 200, by Senator Kluge, to prevent discrimination in public places. Penalty, $100, nor more than $500, or shall be imprisoned not less than 30 days, nor more than
go days, or both such fine and imprisonment. Approved March 30, 1917.
Issued by the Denver Branch of the National
Association for the Advancement of
Golored People
