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Today Is The First ‘Dr. Justina Ford Day’ In Colorado, Honoring Medical Pioneer

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3min 30sec
Courtesy of Chris Fenison
Dr. Justina Ford, circa 1920s. The first African American female doctor in Denver, Ford was initially denied a medical license. She and her patients were also denied access to Denver hospitals. Even so, late in life she estimated that she had delivered roughly 7,000 babies during her fifty-year career. In 1984, her Arapaho Street house and home office, scheduled for demolition by the city, was moved to its current location on California Street where it serves as the home of the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center.

January 22, 2021 is the first "Dr. Justina Ford Day" in Colorado, honoring the first African American woman licensed to practice in the state after decades of perseverance.