Martha Benton, who was recalled as the articulate and empathetic voice of city public housing residents, died of complications from a breathing disorder Tuesday at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The East Baltimore resident was 68.
Martha Benton, who was recalled as the articulate and empathetic voice of city public housing residents, died of complications from a breathing disorder Tuesday at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The East Baltimore resident was 68.
"She was a cherished personal friend and a gift to the people of Baltimore," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. "In her life's work as a staunch advocate for city residents, she set an example for other community leaders. She dedicated countless hours of her time and her amazing spirit to improve the quality of life of our most needy citizens."
Born Martha Rose McNeill in Rowland, N.C., she moved to Baltimore in 1954 with her family. She was a Dunbar High School graduate and later earned an associate's degree from Baltimore City Community College.
She was a civilian city Police Department employee and worked in its central records section until she retired on a medical disability many years ago.
In 1964, as the mother of five, she moved into the Douglass Homes in East Baltimore. She became active in the Housing Authority of Baltimore City's committees and at her death was president of its Resident Advisory Board.
"She could have left public housing a long time ago, but she felt she could bring more to her people by living with them rather than living away from them," said a daughter, Catherine E. Jones of Baltimore.
Family members said that two of her children died while living in public housing. In 1980, her daughter, Yvette Regina Benton, who was born deaf and could not speak, was killed when a vehicle veered off the street and struck her from behind as she stood on a sidewalk outside her home. The child could not hear the calls of people nearby telling her to get out of the way.
In 1990, her youngest son, Kelvin M. Benton, was murdered at the Somerset Homes, also in East Baltimore.
Ms. Benton reacted to her son's death by starting the Benton Awards for children in public housing. Friends said she wanted children to learn about the dangers of drugs and their effect on lives. She promoted an annual essay contest in schools where the winners were honored at a ceremony. She became the spokeswoman of a group, Parents Against Drugs, and worked in the clubs associated with the Just Say No to Drugs campaign.
She also honored her daughter with a Maryland School for the Deaf award given each year to a student at the school.
"Baltimore has lost an incredible voice for fairness and justice," said City Council member Carl Stokes. "She was a tireless advocate to ensure that we in government never forgot why we were at City Hall. She would tell us to simply do right by the poor and by our children, and she spent her days and her nights working on their behalf."
He recalled her tenacity and the way she could remind city officials of their need to treat public housing residents with dignity. "At the same time, she commanded the respect of her peers. She bridged both worlds," he said.
City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young called her a "legendary activist." Council member Mary Pat Clarke said she was a "great citizen."
Her brother, Neal Harvey McNeill of Baltimore, described his sister as a "crusader" who "loved the people who lived in the projects."
Ms. Benton was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Maryland Board of Corrections, the Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition, the Southeast Community Organization, the Maryland Housing Commission, the East Baltimore Community Corp. and the Old Town Mall committee.
In 2007, she received the McKim Outstanding Community Leader Award from the McKim Community Association in Baltimore. A year later, she received an Afro American Newspaper Pioneers and Legends Award at a Reginald F. Lewis Museum ceremony. She was also the winner of a Champion of Courage Award, sponsored by Fox 45 television.
She also participated in a healthful living program, Healthy Hearts in Housing, a community service effort sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Institutes of Health. She recently worked on the 2010 federal census count.
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan greeted her at this year's National Housing Law Project in Washington, where she was a participant.
A visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday at Dunbar High School auditorium, 1400 E. Orleans St. A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at First Apostolic Faith Church, Caroline and Lombard streets.
In addition to her daughter and brother, survivors include two sons, Antonio T. Benton and Floyd Benton Jr.; three sisters, Jackie Artis, Mattie Brown and Patricia Steward, all of Baltimore; 23 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.