Annie B. Martin

Annie B. Martin (December 20, 1920 – June 12, 2012) was an American pioneer of the labor movement and the civil rights movement. A South Carolina native, Martin participated in many marches in Washington, D.C., was appointed New York state assistant commissioner of labor under three governors, served sixteen terms as president of the New York City branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and sat on that association's national board of directors for nineteen years.

Early life

Born in Eastover, South Carolina, to Jacob and Queenie Martin, Annie B. Martin was the seventh of eight children. When Martin was a small child, she was introduced by her father to labor activist A. Philip Randolph. Martin graduated Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, became a chemist for Squibb, and was elected secretary-treasurer of Local 8-138 Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union. U.S. Representative Charles B. Rangel extended his remarks to the House on June 19, 2012, to celebrate the life and mourn the loss of Dr. Martin. In his remarks, Rangel stated: "Affectionately known to many of us as Chief or simply Annie B, Dr. Martin was a devoted and dedicated member of the NAACP National Board of Directors. With her soft, but outspoken voice she led by example and with dignity."