COLORADO, USA — The induction of one of Denver's retired senior judges into the Blacks in the Colorado Hall of Fame was announced for Saturday by the Denver Public Libary.
This makes former Denver County Court Senior Judge Gary Jackson the seventh Black/African-American judge to be inducted along joining Judge James C. Flanigan (73), Judge Raymond Dean Jones (90), Judge Gregory Kellam Scott (94), Judge Claudia J. Jordan (96), Judge Wiley Y. Daniel (12) and Judge Karen Ashby (16).
The honor is given to "a Coloradan who has been the first African American to accomplish a professional goal in their field and/or who has actively supported the African American community while achieving his or her goal," said the library's website.
“As a Colorado native born and raised in Denver, it is such an honor to be recognized and join the elite members in the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame, “ said Judge Jackson. “I’m humbled because I know that I walked on the path paved by those before me and grateful to those who supported me on my journey to forge greater opportunities within the legal field.”
Jackson served 43 years practicing law and eight years serving his community as a Denver County Court judge until his retirement in 2020. He is also the second judge to be inducted into the National Bar Association Fred Gray Hall of Fame.
He received his BA in political science at the University of Colorado - Boulder and his JD from Colorado Law in 1970. When Jackson started his career, he became Colorado's only Black deputy district attorney within the Denver District Attorney’s Office in 1970 and a chief trial deputy at 27.
During his time practicing law, Jackson also assisted create the Sam Cary Bar Association, Colorado’s oldest minority bar association, which helped create a scholarship endowment for Black law students.
“Throughout my five-decade career, I was fortunate to serve as an example and, through my work, advocate for diversity, justice and youth to make a positive community impact for generations to come,” explained Judge Jackson. “I hope that I have been the type of role model as a judge to cause diverse young people to consider being a judge as one of the steps in their career ladder."
Both Jackson and his family are actively engaged in preserving and renovating one historic area named Lincoln Hills near Nederland, Colorado.
Lincoln Hills was a recreation area for Black/African-American families in 1922 who weren't welcome in more popular vacation spots and was only one of four such areas in the United States.
Now retired, Jackson has joined his wife, Regina Jackson, as the vice president of marketing for Action Jackson Realty. He hopes to help break barriers and build opportunities in Colorado homeownership.
The ceremony can be viewed through a Zoom call on Saturday, Feb. 5, at 1:30 p.m.
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