Ulibarri Park: Reclaiming one of Valverde's Pocket Parks

This park-naming initiative was one of the Valverde Neighborhood Association's key 2021-2022 strategies to build community, lift up the voices of Valverde, and cultivate a sense of place and connection in the neighborhood. Neighbors have identified a concern that their neighborhood parks generally lack meaningful names, and there are no public spaces or institutions in the neighborhood that honor the cultural heritage and history of Valverde. For example, Valverde's pocket parks are only referred by their cross-streets. One of Valverde's larger parks is named "Barnum East," in reference to the neighborhood on its western border. Valverde's largest, most central park is called "West-Val-Bar-Wood Park" - a difficult-to-remember mish-mash of (1) the names of surrounding neighborhoods (Westwood, Valverde, Barnum) and (2) a tribute to the old Denver Wood Products building that was demolished in the 1990s to make make way for a Denver Public Works building.

After completing a series four park-activation activities in West-Val-Bar-Wood Park this summer (see  https://bit.ly/ValverdeSummer ) VNA is excited to continue its community-building and creative place-making efforts through a campaign to give the pocket park at 100 S. Bryant Street a new name: Ulibarri Park. By working to give this neighborhood park the meaningful name of "Ulibarri Park," we can begin to honor the legacy of the diverse, often marginalized neighbors who have significantly contributed to community life in Valverde. VNA trusts that by sharing and documenting stories of the Ulibarri’s legacy, other neighbors will also find inspiration to share the stories of additional “unsung heroes” and important, yet overlooked, community building efforts.  

The unnamed park at 100 S. Bryant Street has been a gathering place for the people of the neighborhood for decades, yet the legacy of the park is invisible. When Fred and Elaine Ulibarri moved to their home two blocks away from the park in the 1950s, it was one of few places they and their Chicano neighbors could comfortably gather and organize, often enjoying home-made Mexican dishes. Elaine Ulibarri was known for her “geographic” burritos - her homemade tortillas were so big people thought they should have their own zipcode! The Ulibarri’s - like many community builders - recognized that food brings people together, especially when you come from nothing, and park gatherings were a safe space to celebrate their culture and familia, while helping to build a movement for social justice. It is important to honor the historical, cultural, and social significance of community building efforts at the heart of the Chicano movement - often overlooked when we limit our focus on the more visible leaders of protests and in elected politics.

Beyond simply honoring the legacy of two Valverde neighbors, the name “Ullibari” also has other relevant meaning: the root words of the name Ulibarri, translate to village (Uli, uri-, iri), and new (barri), or "new village". The name is fitting, given that it honors the power of our neighbors to work together to build a new village through the Valverde Neighborhood Association and other efforts. Moreover, by virtue of its Spanish origins, the family name “Ulibarri” has symbolic value given that, historically, the people who lived in Valverde have been of Latinx and Native American ancestry, yet their legacy has been underrepresented. Even worse, they have faced attempts by past public officials to force cultural erasure. Like many of their contemporaries, Elaine and Fred Ulibarri were proud Mexican Americans who spoke Spanish as their native language, yet raising their children in Denver’s English-only era meant their native language was not passed on to their children, grandchildren, and future generations. Naming a park in Valverde with a Latinx family name is significant not only for the descendants of the Ullibarris who continue to reside in the neighborhood, but would also offer a sense of identity for underrepresented Latinx people who continue to work for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Evon Lopez is the daughter of Fred and Elaine Lucille Ulibarri. Evon spent more than 25 years in service to the City and County of Denver. During her remarkable career she served as a human resources professional and systems analyst, recognized by colleagues for her commitment, compassion, and care for others.

Adriana Lopez serves as President of the Valverde Neighborhood Association. Leading with kindness, humor, and passion for social justice, she builds on her family's legacy of love for the Valverde and Denver community. That legacy began when her maternal grandparents, Fred and Elaine Ulibarri bought their home in Valverde more than 60 years ago. Under Adriana's leadership as president, VNA has expanded advocacy for the Valverde neighborhood, initiating Covid-19 emergency response in partnership with state and local government, as well as other registered neighborhood organizations, to bring a vaccine clinic to the area which supported hundreds of neighbors. She has also built on the legacy of VNA through the launch of new communication methods, which has included a brand and newsletter, large neighborhood-sponsored events, safety measure partnerships with the city, and highlighting VNA in news media to bring awareness to the neighborhood’s wants and needs. 

If you are a resident of the Valverde neighborhood, contact Evon Lopez to sign the petition to honor Fred & Elaine's legacy by naming one of the unnamed pocket parks in Valverde after them. Evon can be reached at #720.695.7784 or evon.lopez@csuglobal.edu

Neighbors have the opportunity to contribute to the Ulibarri park naming initiative in several valuable ways, learn about them in the following  google form.  

To connect with the Valverde Neighborhood Association, fill out this  google form.