Jackie Jaramillo is an activist and organizer who has spent her lifetime dedicated to advancing opportunities for Chicana/o’s in Colorado Springs. From teaching her classmates Spanish as a child, running for student council, being an active and vocal participant of MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a/x de Aztlan/Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan) at Colorado College, organizing aid for the Marchers traveling by foot from Pueblo to Denver, to participating in the Chicano Moratorium in LA. Jackie has positively impacted change for the better in the lives of many people in Colorado Springs.
Jackie is one wonderful example of a Chicana advocating for her community by contributing valuable and collaborative work to the Chicano Movement not only in Colorado Springs but statewide and nationwide. Jackie demonstrates the importance of women leading political movements. Jackie’s civil rights work began when she was a student at Colorado College and became heavily involved in MEChA. In solidarity with farm workers nationwide Jackie and her fellow students and community boycotted lettuce and grapes by picketing at local Safeway stores.
In solidarity and to advance the cause of lettuce growers facing poor wages, unsafe housing, lack of childcare, and horrendous work hours and conditions in the San Luis Valley and throughout Colorado, a march started in the neighborhood of Dog Patch in Pueblo, CO. The march started August 2nd of 1970 and ended August 10th when the marchers arrived in Denver, CO. The march began with 30 marchers covering 15 miles a day. When the marchers arrived in Colorado Springs Jackie, and the women in her family, CC students, neighbors, and the women in her greater community joined forces to organize local unions and organizations to secure new shoes, water, food, first aid, and clothes for the marchers.
Teatro Campesino provided a performance at Shove Chapel for the marchers as they rested. Jackie and many others in Colorado Springs joined the marchers to Monument where they had an uneasy but nonconfrontational run- in with members of the KKK. When they reached Castle Rock and south Denver they gained 5,000 marchers. By the time they reached the Denver State Capital for a rally around 10,000 people were in attendance and Jackie served as the emcee for the program.
Jackie has been pulled from retirement multiple times to lead interfaith networks, nonprofits, and legislative work. She continued to help our community stay healthy as the Executive Director of Centro de la Familia by providing bilingual services to the Latino Community in need of resources, mental health support, and advocacy. Centro de la Familia closed their doors in April of 2026 due to the loss of federal funding and reduction to resources, but the love of community and the work to provide opportunities for all people live on with the Chicana/o/x and Latino Community.