Celebrate Denver's Black Champions

Celebrate at the 2026 Juanita Gray Community Service Awards and Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame Ceremony

Register to livestream the awards!

The 2026 Juanita Gray Community Service Awards and Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. and will take place at the Denver Central Library located at 10 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy. Doors will open at 1 p.m. The entrance is located on the 14th Ave. side. Learn about this year’s nominees and inductees here!

Juanita Gray was a former library staff member and community advocate whose legacy, dedication, and advocacy of Denver’s African American community continue to inspire. The Denver Public Library established the Juanita Gray Community Service Awards in 1988 to celebrate the contributions of men, women, and youth of Black or African descent. She also established the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame in 1973, which continues to add biennial inductees based on their trailblazing accomplishments in the state of Colorado.

Each year, community members are invited to nominate individuals who make outstanding contributions to the Denver Metro area and who exemplify the ideals and spirit represented by Mrs. Gray’s commitment to the community. Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame inductees are introduced into the honor biennially. A community-driven committee works with the Library and a member of the Library Commission to nominate and select the award winners and Hall of Fame inductees.

View decades of Juanita Gray Community Service Award recipients and Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame Inductees.