RACE

Kelley Dolphus Stroud was a Colorado Springs resident of African, Native American, and European descent — a scholar-athlete who qualified for the 1928 Olympic 5,000-meter trials in Boston.

Denied funding to travel to the trials, Stroud made an extraordinary decision: he would walk the nearly 2,000 milesfrom Colorado Springs to Boston across a deeply segregated America. Along the way, he corresponded with his family — his Aunt Jennie, sister Effie, and brother Tandy — letters that reveal the human cost of his determination.

He arrived on time but finished last, his body ravaged by malnutrition from the grueling journey. Yet his story stands as a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the barriers faced by Black athletes in early 20th-century America.

Now, the International Brazilian Opera Company (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) brings this forgotten chapter of American history to the stage, premiering in Colorado Springs.