Christina Dawidowicz, Fox21 News
“He provided reasoning with the community, giving them a voice of hope yet, being able to connect with voices of power,” said Cleveland Thompson, Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Local pastors say the civil rights leader brought people together in Colorado Springs.
“His ability to reach all communities. He was not regulated to just the African American Community. He was able to touch areas in the military and those who came from distant lands and different communities,” Thompson said.
To honor his legacy, the city named a road on the southeast side of town after him: Milton E. Proby Parkway.
His contributions to the community are also recognized in the Mitlon E. Proby Cultural Heritage room at El Pomar Foundation.
“There are over 300,000 people that come here to Penrose House for meetings. So, the whole state of Colorado and those that come here have a chance everyday to see the contributions of Milton E. Proby and other ethnic minorities that have made contributions in Southern Colorado,” said Theophilus Gregory, Senior Vice President of El Pomar Foundation.
Many say his message of civic engagement and social justice still rings true today.
“And I think the men and women that carry on his legacy were very strong in providing opportunities for people in Southern Colorado to succeed, to achieve and to get engaged in their community,” Gregory said.
“He was a voice and a man that was able to again reach various people in various stages of life. And that was his greatest impact,” Thompson said.
Proby was a senior pastor St. John’s Baptist Church for 47 years, as well as a founding member of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Colorado Springs Human Rights Commission in 1988.
View a video from Fox21 News here.