Anita Nanez Martinez, a barrier-breaking Dallas civic leader, has died at the age of 100. The cultural arts organization she founded confirmed her death on Sunday.
Born in 1925, Martinez lived in the west Dallas neighborhood still known by many as “Little Mexico.” She married Al Martinez, from the famed El Fenix restaurant family, and raised four children.
“From a very early age, Mrs. Martinez exhibited a keen interest in community affairs, and by the age of fourteen, she led her first movement going door-to-door collecting signatures for the pavement of Pearl Street in ‘Little Mexico.’ Since then, she has spent over 64 years dedicated to involvement in community service work,” her biography on the Ballet Folklorico states.
In 1969, she became Dallas’ first elected city council member of Mexican descent. She served a four-year term and continued advocating for neighbors in Little Mexico and across West Dallas.
Martinez focused her efforts 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, which encourages children to engage in the arts. The name references baile folklórico, the colorful traditional Mexican dance form that emphasizes local folk culture with staple ballet characteristics.
The Ballet Folklorico announced Martinez’s passing on Sunday in a Facebook post, reflecting on her cultural impact.
“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.”
The notice honored Martinez as a “Community Leader, Cultural Visionary,” and “Defender of Dreams.”
The group’s online biography notes that the Anita N. Martinez Recreation Center in west Dallas was named for her advocacy work.
Information about memorial services was not immediately available.