Black Journalist from Denver Broke Barriers

When Sandra C. Dillard became the first Black woman journalist at The Denver Post in 1972, she sometimes faced racism — like the time a doctor refused to be interviewed by her.

“I think they were expecting just a regular white reporter like they had always had,” says Dillard, 87, of Denver.

But Dillard didn’t let such incidents dampen her ambition. Over nearly three decades, she covered 13 beats, reported on the White House and Congress, and became a theater critic.

Earlier this year, Dillard traveled to Cleveland for the National Association of Black Journalists’ 50th anniversary celebration, where she was honored as a founding member. Dillard and 43 other Black journalists launched the organization in 1975.

Alton Dillard

It has since grown to more than 4,000 members — nurturing thousands of careers and fostering connections among Black journalists.

“We didn’t found it just because of the racism we encountered in those days,” she says. “We founded it because of advocacy,” and wanting other Black journalists to know they weren’t alone.

Following a divorce, Dillard was also a devoted single parent, raising her son with her own mother’s help. While she says job offers came in from larger, national newspapers, she chose to stay in Denver because it was the best place to raise her son.

Alton Dillard, 62, an AARP Colorado Executive Council member, built a career in government communications. He says that his mother’s recognition at the association’s anniversary celebration was a tribute to a life spent breaking barriers.

He added that accompanying his mother on the Cleveland trip put everything into perspective.

“Mom was always an inspiration,” he says.