Our dear friend Phyllis M. Martin passed away on July 4, 2015. Family, friends, and community members gathered to honor the legacy and life of this phenomenal and fearless community leader on Tuesday, July 14 at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Ms. Martin fought and won numerous battles on behalf of public housing residents. She lived a life full of love, caring, and compassion for everyone that she knew and who was in need of help and support. Ms. Martin was instrumental in keeping our beloved SW Community House fully operational during difficult times including funding crises. She refused to give up even after her own home was razed during urban renewal that displaced 4,500 black residents from SW. During this time, the building and promise of new affordable housing stalled because of wealthy developers and political pressures for low-income blacks not to return to SW. Ms. Martin inspired generations of people to stand together and to stand up for what was right as she laid the foundation for the return of hundreds of low-income residents to new SW and she gained respect across the country for her outstanding leadership.

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