Barney Ford, Five Points, the Harlem of the West and Dr. Justina Ford.
Barney Ford
Barney Ford escaped slavery as a young man, reportedly with help from Underground Railroad conductors. In 1860, during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, he staked a claim in Breckenridge and was driven off it, told he could not file one because he was African American. He turned to business instead, and in 1874 he completed the Inter-Ocean Hotel at Blake and 16th Streets in Denver, at the time considered the finest in the city. He lobbied Congress, arguing successfully that Colorado should not be admitted to the Union until all men could vote, and his portrait in stained glass hangs in the House Chamber of the Colorado State Capitol.
Five Points
Discriminatory housing rules kept Black residents out of other neighborhoods, and Five Points developed into a predominantly African American neighborhood, and in the first half of the 20th century it became known as the Harlem of the West. Dozens of jazz clubs lined Welton Street, where Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Nat King Cole, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie played. Black performers barred from other Denver hotels stayed at the Rossonian, which became a famous music venue in its own right. In 2002 Five Points was designated a cultural historic district.
Dr. Justina Ford
Justina Ford was the first licensed African American woman doctor in Denver. For about 50 years she ran a practice from her home in Five Points, treating patients who were often turned away from hospitals, and she delivered nearly 7,000 babies. In 1988 her house became the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center.
Wellington Webb
In 1991 Wellington Webb ran his Sneaker Campaign, walking door to door through much of Denver while still little known to voters. He won, becoming the city's first African American mayor, and served from 1991 to 2003.
Black Denver Today
From the Black American West Museum to Welton Street, Five Points carries the history of Black Denver, and Black-owned restaurants, salons, shops and brands are part of everyday Denver.
Shop Black-owned businesses in Denver on CashBlack.
Photo Credits
The Stiles African American Heritage Center in Five Points. Photo: Stiles AAHC, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons