Clementine Pigford
*Clementine Pigford was born on this date in 1943. She was a Black educator, counselor, poet, and author.
Clementine Washington was born in Chicago to parents Helen Mims and Eugene Washington. She has one brother, Eugene Washington II. Washington and her family moved to Denver, Colorado, where her father was a civilian Radio Aircraft Technician at Lowry Air Force Base, and her mother was a Nurse Assistant at Denver's Veteran's Hospital. She attended Whittier Elementary, Cole Junior High, and East High School.
Washington married Robert Edward Pigford on October 7, 1964. She had two sons, Robert II and Michael.
For college, Pigford attended Kansas State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder. She graduated in 1965 from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Speech Pathology. Pigford also received a master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She worked for Denver Public Schools as an English teacher until she retired in 1998. She started her second career working with the Northeast Denver Housing Authority for ten years.
She also worked for the Denver Sheriff’s Department as an education specialist, where she helped inmates attain their high school diplomas or GEDs. She was a member of Zion Baptist Church and an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for 50+ years. She was also a published author and received many awards and honors. She retired from the sheriff's department in 2015. Clementine W Pigford, 77, died on April 30, 2021.
To Become a College Administrator
To Become a Special Education Teacher
