Idaho's Black Heritage and History
February marks Black History Month, honoring the contributions African Americans have made and recognizing their sacrifices. Idaho has a dark history of white supremacy, a history that continues to crop up in news today. But the state is also home to a resilient and proud community of Black and African American Idahoans. For some, their history in this majority-white state goes back generations.
Last week, the Department of Defense announced it would no longer honor cultural awareness months, including Black History Month, but a coalition is going forward with events to honor the contributions of Black Idahoans.

Her legacy will inspire generations to come.
Celebrating Erma Hayman
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Learning about the birds that live in and around Boise gives young refugees a chance to find out more about their new home.
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The Erma Hayman House is now open to the public following many years of preparation. The small sandstone house, once part of the city’s most diverse community and the last single-family home in Boise’s River Street neighborhood, celebrates the legacy of Erma Hayman's life.
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September 22, 2022 – quite a day at 617 Ash Street. On the day the City of Boise swings the doors open to the Erma Hayman House, Morning Edition host George Prentice previews the restoration and art installations and talks about Mrs. Hayman's life-long (she lived to be 102) legacy of love.
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Idaho Matters takes a look inside of Erma Hayman House, a 115 year old single family home that is being preserved as a cultural site in Downtown Boise.
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Have you heard of Erma Hayman? The Boisean lived a long and influential life, much of it spent in the historic River Street Neighborhood. Hayman, who was…
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Racial Justice & Equality
- Black women in Idaho and Colorado reflect on long overdue calls for racial justice
- Jacobs Entertainment request to annex street near historic church prompts pushback
- "The Identity Trap" By Yascha Mounk
- Mountain West states lag in support for teachers of color, report finds
- Reports spotlight severe incarceration inequities in Nevada, Colorado
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