WASHINGTON– (September 27, 2018), Howard University Associate Professor Silvia Martinez Ed.D. was recently elected as the DC Democratic National Committeewoman. This win is historical as she is the first Latina to represent Washington, DC at the national level, and the first Latina to ever hold the highest elected position in the city. 

“I’m proud to represent the District of Columbia as the committeewoman,” says Martinez.

“I represent the District of Columbia in the D.C. Democratic State Committee. Therefore, I have voting privileges at the national level for bylaws and constitution, in representation of DC.”

Martinez’s commitment is to improve the education and health of minorities, protect the rights of immigrants, address unjust labor laws, and to support health and housing for the elderly. In her role as committeewoman, she sits on the committees of various constituency groups, including the Latino Caucus, Disabilities Caucus, and Women’s Caucus.

“Since one of my areas of interest is health and education access and equity, I hope to work on increasing voter access for people with disabilities. Also, I’m the president of the DC Latino Caucus, so I’m hoping to further engage in Latino involvement in politics,” says Martinez.

She has devoted 15 years as an associate professor in the communication disorders and sciences department at Howard University, a career that has complemented her passion for uplifting the minority community in the city and beyond. 

“The wonderful thing about Howard is that there is mentorship. I was favored enough to have people identify me as someone to mentor early on,” says Martinez.

“I try the best I can to open doors, and at Howard, you can see that atmosphere. The goal of Howard makes you want to represent it and its people. I have always been involved with the community and Howard has reinforced and supported the work.”

Martinez is decorated with degrees from the University of Puerto Rico, Harvard University and Boston University. Before Howard, she taught at George Washington University and was also the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Director of Multicultural Education and Practices. Martinez has been addressing health disparities for over a decade with regard to improving the knowledge at-risk populations have about communication sciences and disorders and related health/education issues, especially as it relates to prevention. She is the recipient of many awards including the ASHA Fellows Award, the ASHA Certificate of Recognition for Special Contributions in Multicultural Affairs, the Council for Academic Programs in Speech and Language Pathology Diversity Award, and others. 

Martinez’s non-academic life is devoted to doing community work, as she is presently a commissioner in the DC Mayor’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities, president of the DC Latino Caucus, and was the corresponding secretary for the DC Democratic State Committee. 

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States.  For more information on Howard University visit www.howard.edu

Media Contact: Imani Pope-Johns, Imani.popejohns@howard.edu