The Chop House Affair and Beyond: Race and Legislation in Montana

Regular and lottery registration open on January 8, 2026.
Dates: February 9, 2026
Meets: M from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
 Location: Bozeman, MT - Museum of the Rockies
Cost:  $0.00

There are still openings remaining at this time.

Date Day Time
02/09/2026Monday3 PM to 5 PM

OR

Please note: This course program requires membership in a 2025-2026 OLLI at MSU Membership

Description

For centuries, African Americans have played - and continue to play - a significant part in shaping Montana's cultural landscape. Unfortunately, most of our history books, essays and articles fail to acknowledge Montana's Black past. The experiences of African American people influenced the state's social, political and economic development. Concurrently, local, statewide and national events, laws and policies informed their experiences. Since the establishment of Montana Territory in 1864, Montana has enforced laws and policies designed to address-sometimes to limit and sometimes to protect-the rights of minority populations. State and local authorities codified and regulated discriminatory policies regarding members of the state's Black, Native American, Chinese and Japanese communities. This talk will provide an overview of some of those legal and regulatory acts that affected Black Montanans in particular.

Program Takeaways

The presentation's objectives include:

  • Introducing a broad audience to Montana's Black history.
  • Explaining the evolution of discriminatory laws and policies, and those efforts to establish and reclaim civil rights for underrepresented groups.
  • Providing examples of prejudice and discrimination in Montana communities through the 19th and 20th centuries.
Fee:  $0.00

Bozeman, MT - Museum of the Rockies

600 West Kagy Blvd
Bozeman, Montana 59717

Kate Hampton

Kate Hampton is the Community Preservation Historian at the Montana Historical Society's State Historic Preservation Office, where she works directly with local community preservation programs to document and preserve their cultural resources. Her past work includes several years as Director of the Most Endangered Places Program at Preserve Montana, coordinating Montana's National Register of Historic Places Program, and working throughout the West as a research historian with Historic Research Associates, Inc. She directs Montana African American Heritage Resources projects, which identify, research and document resources and places throughout the state associated with African American history in Montana. She served as executive producer and co-writer of the documentary "Hidden Stories: Montana's Black Past." She authored "The Best Gift: Montana's Carnegie Libraries," as well as numerous book chapters, essays and articles.