‘Healer of the sick:’ Dr. Justina Ford, Colorado’s first Black female physician, saw her work as a true calling

Next week we celebrate the birthday of pioneering physician Dr. Justina Ford. At the turn of the 20th century, she became the first Black woman to practice medicine in Colorado. 

In an archival clip featured in Rocky Mountain PBS’s “Colorado Experience,” we hear Ford musing on her life’s work: "Babies. Babies are little miracles. That's why I love to deliver them and help these miracles thrive in their new world.”

Ford transcended racial and gender barriers to deliver more than 7,000 babies during her 50 years in medicine. She practiced out of her home in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood, and treated patients regardless of their ability to pay. She saw that work as her true calling and higher purpose. 

"For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor, a healer of the sick,” Ford said. “I used to like to help dress a chicken for dinner so I could see what was on the inside. I watched my mother use her hands, heart and ways of our African ancestors using roots and natural herbs to take care of her patients. And I wanted to do the same."

A few years ago, In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole dialed up Terry Gentry to discuss Ford’s legacy.  Gentry heads Black engagement efforts at History Colorado. Back then, she was working as a volunteer docent at the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center in Denver. It was just ahead of an unveiling of a mural in Five Points depicting Ford. 

Read more about Ford’s life in this piece from the local newspaper Front Porch.