Donate
Now
Grand Design Inc.
Phone: (303) 693-8348
E-mail: bshanb9@gmail.com
Established 1984
,
Dr. Barbara Shannon-Banister is being honored with a street named after her in Aurora, Colorado!
The city is renaming the ring road on the Aurora Municipal Center Campus to Dr. Barbara Shannon-Banister Boulevard
. The dedication ceremony was scheduled for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, as part of the city's Black History Month celebrations.
​
This honor recognizes her nearly four decades of service to the city, including:
-
Civil Rights Leadership: Serving as a co-founder of the Aurora NAACP.
-
Community Service: Her 36-year tenure at City Hall, where she led the Community Relations Division and worked as a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion.
-
Non-Profit Work: Serving as President and CEO of Grand Design Inc., an organization dedicated to preserving African American culture through the arts
OUR MISSION
​
Grand Design Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Grand Design is dedicated to: preserving and keeping alive, primarily, the performing arts of African Americans, yet inclusive of other cultural performing arts; to provide entertainment and raise the awareness of the public and an appreciation by the public through performances, concerts, presentations, visual art exhibits and cultural awareness training for the benefit of the residents in Aurora and the metropolitan area.