Denver, CO

How the legacy of Colorado’s first Black surgeon lives on in Denver’s Five Points

Published

2 years ago

February 23, 2024

How the legacy of Colorado’s first Black surgeon lives on in Denver’s Five Points

DENVER — A portrait hanging on the wall reminds Candace Lartigue of who came before.

“When I walk in the doors here, I am part of a legacy,” said Lartigue, a nurse practitioner at Denver Health’s Eastside Family Health Center.

In the heart of the historic Five Points neighborhood, African American history runs deep. And at the country’s second oldest community health clinic, that history revolves around one man: Dr. Bernard F. Gipson Sr.

“As a Black woman working in healthcare, you don’t see a ton of representation,” Lartigue said. Even today, “you don’t see a lot of Black surgeons.”

Especially not like Dr. Gipson, who became one of the first Black surgeons in the country, at a time when African Americans were deep in the Civil Rights movement.

“There have been a ton of contributions to civil rights, to the health equity movement, to social justice, coming out of Denver,” she said. And Dr. Gipson played a part.

“He actually took care of Dr. Martin Luther King, I think it was a second visit out here, for altitude sickness,” Lartigue said.

Eric Goody, Denver7

A portrait of Dr. Bernard F. Gipson Sr. hangs in the Denver Health Eastside Family Health Center, which bears his name.

Denver7 wanted to learn more about Dr. Gipson’s life and legacy. That’s when we discovered that the man himself preserved his story before he died.

Tucked away into boxes donated to the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, photographs, letters and certifications share a glimpse of his monumental achievements.

“People see the black and white photos and they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, that was a long time ago’ and we’re like ‘No, no,’” said Dexter Nelson III, the library’s museums and archives supervisor.

Nelson and his team are dedicated to preserving Denver’s African American history, but even they hadn’t heard of Dr. Gipson.

When they pulled these boxes from the archives, we learned about the doctor together.

Blair Caldwell archives — At the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, the legacy of Dr. Bernard F. Gipson Sr. lives on in boxes of photographs, letters and other physical markers of his accomplishments.

The most stunning part of the collection: Audio recordings of Dr. Gipson telling his own life story 50 years ago.

“I was really just blown away with his tenacity,” Nelson said.

Gipson was born in Texas in the 1920s, as the youngest of nine children. He grew up poor, but his family rallied around him to get an education.

In the audio recordings, Dr. Gipson said his career in medicine began when he was only 11or 12 years old.

A Black doctor visited his town, and later performed life-saving surgery on him. Dr. Gipson said, “to influence a youngster like I was at that time, with no money, that I become educated… does go to show, as we move along in life, that we must be careful because you can’t tell who is watching and may get an idea.”

But his journey would be long, and rife with racism.

Black History Month

How the first Black astronaut candidate became a prolific Denver sculptor

4:53 PM, Feb 02, 2024

Gipson left Texas to study at the most prestigious university a Black man could attend at the time: Morehouse University.

He completed all of the requirements to go to medical school. But then, World War II threatened to end his career before it started.

Army recruiters told him he needed to report for duty. But Dr. Benjamin Mays, president of Morehouse, made some phone calls to help Gipson. It was a Black Lieutenant Colonel, Campbell Johnson, who deferred Gipson’s military service so that he could study medicine.

“These men had the hard knocks, and they knew what we were going through, even though we were supposedly having it better,” Gipson said.

At first, Gipson hoped to study in his home state of Texas. But he said the State of Texas wouldn’t allow a Black man to attend the University of Texas. Instead, Texas actually paid him to study at Howard University.

Black History Month

Preserving Denver’s Black History: The work to save buildings, oral histories

4:19 PM, Feb 01, 2024

“I don’t know how I kept from being knocked down by some of these experiences. But each time, I seem to have gotten strength to do a little bit more,” Gipson said.

While at Howard, he studied under Dr. Charles Drew, a pioneer who invented new methods for preserving blood plasma, making large-scale blood banks possible. He was also the first Black professor of surgery at Howard.

“I had never heard of a Black surgeon in my life,” Gipson said. Learning from Dr. Drew inspired him to take on that specialty.

He went on to intern at Harlem Hospital in New York, and complete a surgical residency at Howard’s Freedmen’s Hospital, as well as the U.S. Public Health Hospital in Boston.

Dr. Gipson and colleagues — Dr. Bernard F. Gipson Sr. stands to the far right alongside other Black doctors.

From there, the military brought Gipson to Colorado in 1954.

“They had never had a Black Chief of Surgery at Lowry Air Force Base,” Gipson said.

Dr. Gipson had already passed the first part of his American Board of Surgery specialty board — the highest board for surgeons in the country. But he still faced racism.

When he traveled to Kansas City to get his final board certification, the hotel where he expected to stay turned him away.

“Can you imagine having studied for five years postgraduate and gotten all your credentials ready, on the final lap… you’re welcomed to the hotel, and a little girl telling you can’t sleep?” Dr. Gipson said.

Black History Month

Black History: Pueblo preserves 1940s era motel, museum searches for a new home

4:13 PM, Feb 08, 2024

Nevertheless, he became Colorado’s first Black surgeon to achieve the highest certifications. And after his time serving in the military, he went on the start his own family practice in Denver. There, he treated patients until his retirement in 1995.

Dr. Gipson was 93 years old when he died in 2015.

He left behind a lasting legacy — preserved in boxes at the Blair-Caldwell library.

Nelson, the archives supervisor, said the goal of preserving stories like this is to inspire and inform visitors. Now that he’s learned about Dr. Gipson, he hopes to pull these records out again, for a museum exhibit.

The goal: To show that “people from humble beginnings came up and did amazing things, and that you can do that, too,” he said.

The Follow Up

What do you want Denver7 to follow up on? Is there a story, topic or issue you want us to revisit? Let us know with the contact form below.

Source link

Click to comment

Denver, CO

Purple Row After Dark: Is Denver the best sports town in the US?

Published

5 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Purple Row After Dark: Is Denver the best sports town in the US?

In case you missed it, the Denver Summit — the Mile High City’s new NWSL team — made quite a debut today:

The game ended on a 0-0 draw, but what a great day for Denver sports.

And that raises an interesting question: Is Denver the best sports town in the United States?

The sooner the Mile High City gets a WNBA team, the better.

Me, I think you can’t beat Denver for sports. But I’m willing to entertain other perspectives. Let us know in the comments!

Fewer ads
Create community posts
Comment on articles, community posts
Rec comments, community posts
New, improved notifications system!

Source link

Denver, CO

Every Opening and Closing This Week: Six Spots Debuted

Published

17 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Every Opening and Closing This Week: Six Spots Debuted

Paperboy has opened its first location outside of Texas.

Paperboy

Denver is a city that loves to brunch and now, one of Austin’s top daytime spots has opened a location in the West Highland neighborhood. Paperboy’s third outpost is its first outside of its home state of Texas. The concept, which founder Rynan Harms started in a food trailer, has taken over the former home of Rooted Craft American Kitchen (and FNG before that).

“We love this neighborhood because it’s still close to downtown but has its own unique and relaxed vibe,” says Robert Brown, Harms’ longtime business partner, who has lived in Denver for nearly a decade. “People know their neighbors, they show up to community events, they’re invested in this place in a way that feels increasingly rare. That sense of connection is something Paperboy has always tried to foster, and we’re honored to be a part of it here in Denver.”

The menu includes staples such as the chicken and biscuit drizzled with spicy honey; Texas Hash with roasted pork, sweet potato, onion, kale, poached egg and pecan mole; and the Paperboy Pancake, described as “a cake-forward cornmeal pancake that still manages to be impossibly fluffy.”

martini on a table in front of a bar — FiNO’s martini is made with pickled tomato water.

Also now open is FiNO, the restaurant inside the revamped All Inn Hotel on East Colfax. We enjoyed our first meal there; if you’re planning to visit, don’t miss the signature martini, the Medi Nachos and the caper-studded charred cabbage.

On East Sixth Avenue, the powerhouse duo behind the city’s best new barbecue restaurant, Riot BBQ, has debuted Chicken Riot in the former Truffle Cheese Shop space. Meanwhile, the former Whiskey Biscuit in Englewood is now the Barn, a neighborhood eatery from a pair of longtime hospitality pros, including former Brider chef Chase Devitt.

Taqueria Los Gallitos has expanded once again, adding an eighth location in the former Taco John’s near the shuttered Denver Merchandise Mart.

And just in time for the Rockies home opener on Friday, April 3, McGregor Square has opened its revamped food hall. The former Milepost Zero moniker is out. Now, the space is dubbed McGregor Square Food & Drink and includes six food stalls from local eateries: Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta, C Burger, G-Que BBQ, High Point Creamery, TaCo! and Tora Ramen.

There’s just one closure to report this week: Ballyhoo Table & Stage, which actually shuttered last month after an eviction notice was posted.

In other openings and closings news:

chicken club sandwich — A chicken club is one of the sandwiches on off at the Barn.

Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed this week*:

Openings

The Barn South Broadway, 3299 South Broadway, Englewood
Chicken Riot, 2906 East Sixth Avenue
FiNO, 3015 East Colfax Avenue
McGregor Square Food & Drink, 1601 19th Street
Paperboy, 3940 West 32nd Avenue
Taqueria Los Gallitos, 5810 Logan Street

Closures

Ballyhoo Table & Stage, 3300 Tejon Street

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.

Source link

Denver, CO

Preview: Spirit Prepares for First Match Against Denver Summit FC, Another Record Crowd

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Preview: Spirit Prepares for First Match Against Denver Summit FC, Another Record Crowd

Denver, Colo. (03/27/2026) – In front of another expected record-breaking crowd, the Washington Spirit is set to take on Denver Summit FC in the side’s inaugural home match at Empower Field at Mile High. With over 60,000 tickets already distributed, the match is poised to break the NWSL attendance record of 40,091 set last summer when the Spirit visited Bay FC at San Francisco’s Oracle Park. Kicking off at 2 p.m. EDT, the match will broadcast nationally on CBS.

The Spirit

Washington comes into this weekend’s fixture off a difficult 1-1 home draw with Utah Royals FC earlier this week. After scoring in the 18th minute, the Spirit nearly earned its first victory of 2026 but conceded an equalizer late and had to settle for a single point on the table. Washington’s goal was scored by midfielder Rebeca Bernal, the Mexican star’s first since transferring to the NWSL last year.

Saturday afternoon’s match will mark the first-ever meeting between the Spirit, one of the NWSL’s original clubs, and 2026 expansion side Denver Summit FC. Denver will be the 17th different opponent for Washington across its regular season history: the Spirit has played against 13 active clubs (all except expansion sides Denver and Boston) as well as defunct clubs the Boston Breakers, FC Kansas City and the Western New York Flash.

The Spirit has had success against expansion sides as of late, tallying 11 wins in 15 matches against NWSL clubs in their first season of competition since the start of the 2021 campaign. In 2024, the Spirit went a perfect 5-0-0 against Bay FC and Utah Royals FC, outscoring the teams 10-3 with a playoff win to boot. In 2022, Washington earned a 1-3-0 record against Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC and, in 2021, the eventual NWSL champions went an impressive 5-1-0 against Kansas City and Racing Louisville FC.

This weekend’s matchup at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, is set to shatter the NWSL’s single match attendance record with over 60,000 tickets already distributed. The Spirit has also been the visiting team for two of the league’s previous three record-setting attendances: 34,130 fans at Seattle’s Lumen Field when the Spirit took on the Reign and 40,091 in the stands at San Francisco’s historic Oracle Park to watch Washington play Bay FC.

Washington is in good standing in several attacking categories through three matches despite two draws and a loss. The Spirit remains first in the league in rate of possession at nearly 62% and top three in both shots and shots on target with 49 and 17, respectively. With just three goals through three matches, look for the Spirit attack to continue getting attempts on frame this weekend.

Following Saturday’s match, the Spirit will hit the road again next weekend for an away match against Bay FC in San Jose on Sunday, April 5. Washington’s next home match will be on Friday, April 24 at 8 p.m. EDT when the side hosts the defending Shield winner Kansas City Current at Audi Field. Information on tickets can be found HERE.

The Opponent

Denver Summit FC opened its inaugural season with three straight away matches, collecting a win, a loss and a draw to carry four points into its home opener this weekend. Summit FC dropped its first match to Bay FC 1-2 before drawing Orlando 1-1 and beating Gotham 2-0.

Summit FC is led in scoring by star German forward Melissa Kössler who has three goals in three matches, scoring once in each contest. With a goal tomorrow, the forward would join Alex Morgan as just the second player in league history to score in each of her first four matches with a club. Look for the Spirit defending third to place an emphasis on limiting chances to Kössler on Saturday afternoon.

Denver has only allowed one goal across its last 240 minutes of action after giving up two in the first 30 minutes of the side’s opener. The strong recent form of Summit FC’s defending third against the Spirit attacking third’s ability to generate chance after chance will be a point to watch this weekend.

Three former Spirit players are currently on the Summit FC roster as midfielders Meg Boade and Jordan Baggett and defender Camryn Biegalski signed with the side ahead of this season. Baggett spent four years with the Spirit after being drafted by the side in 2019 while Biegalski signed with Washington in 2021 and played three seasons, both winning the 2021 NWSL Championship with the team. Boade spent the first half of the 2025 season in DC as a short-term injury replacement, even scoring a goal for the Spirit.

Following tomorrow’s match, Denver will travel to Seattle to face Reign FC on Saturday, April 4.

All-Time Series History

This weekend’s match will be the first-ever meeting between the Spirit and Denver Summit FC.

About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Source link