Life and Times of Richard Castro: Bridging a Cultural Divide

Hispanic leader Richard Castro was not above a good street fight. Denver police beat him bloody during a 1960s confrontation, and political rivals later shot him and bombed his home. But he emerged from the early struggles of Denver’s Hispanic movement - el Movimento - to become one of Colorado’s most important political figures. During his ten years as a state representative and, later, as a key ally of Denver mayor Federico Pena, Castro personified the Hispanic community’s new-found political power. The Life and Times of Richard Castro traces Castro’s path from the streets of Denver to the chambers of the State Capital. It also chronicles a community’s coming of age - an event that transformed politics and society in Colorado and the West.