Anita Martinez, longtime Dallas advocate and barrier-breaking council member, dies at 100 years old

Anita Nanez Martinez, a barrier-breaking Dallas civic leader, has died at 100, the cultural arts organization she founded confirmed Sunday.

Born in 1925, Martinez lived in the west Dallas neighborhood still known by many as "Little Mexico". She would go on to marry Al Martinez, from the famed El Fenix restaurant family, and raise four children.

Her impact in Dallas was felt in 1969, when she became the city's first elected city council member of Mexican descent. During and beyond her four-year term, Martinez became an advocate and ambassador, representing her neighbors in Little Mexico and across west Dallas.

Anita Martinez, a legacy of advocacy 

Martinez's advocacy included a focus on improving the lives of Hispanic children. She helped open the Los Barrios Unidos community health clinic in west Dallas and created the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, encouraging children to engage in the arts. The name itself also references baile folklórico, the colorful traditional Mexican dance form that emphasizes local folk culture with staple ballet characteristics.

Ballet Folklorico announced Martinez's passing on Sunday with a Facebook post, reflecting on her impact through culture.

"Through her vision, passion, and unwavering commitment to our community, she created a space where generations of young people have discovered their identity, celebrated their culture, and believed in their dreams," the center shared. "She was more than a leader—she was a mentor, a trailblazer, and a fierce advocate who broke barriers as the first Mexican-American woman elected to the Dallas City Council, fighting tirelessly on behalf of the working poor and the most vulnerable among us."

Ballet Folklorico also notes in an online biography for her that the Anita N. Martinez Recreation Center in west Dallas was named after her in honor of her advocacy.

Information about memorial services was not immediately available.