Trailblazer Milton E. Proby: A Legacy of Faith, Leadership, and Civil Rights in Colorado Springs

Milton Proby was born September 15, 1929, in DeKalb, Texas, however Colorado Springs was his home for 47 years while he and his wife raised five children. He was the face of the campaign for civil rights and equality in Colorado, but Proby’s calling was his faith and his work as a pastor. He was a founding member of the Baptist Southern District Association of Colorado and worked in support of the National Baptist Convention.

Proby founded and loyally served as pastor of St. John’s Baptist Church at 902 S. Prospect St., which established the first food bank in the area. “He was certainly proud of building the church,” says James Proby, one of his sons. “He built the church from the ground up, from a dirt lot, and it opened on October 1, 1969.”