Today we’d like to introduce you to Areva Martin, Esq.
Hi Areva, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew in St. Louis in a housing project on what was considered “the wrong side of the tracks.” I was raised by two extraordinary women – that is, my grandmother, Doveanne, and my godmother, Ethel.
My godmother, Ethel, was a janitor. When I was nine or ten years old, I started accompanying her on night jobs at big law firms and office buildings. I would help her sweep floors, empty trashcans, clean toilets — anything that needed to be done. I saw my godmother work with such humility and pride, never, ever complaining. The other influence in my life ― my grandmother, Doveanne, was confined to a wheelchair, and when I came to live with her, I became her caregiver. She had a tremendous love of books that she shared with me, and, like her, I found the power of reading as a way to feed my curiosity. I didn’t realize that becoming an avid reader would be my ticket to the nation’s top universities and a career as a lawyer.
Over time, all that reading paid off. I became the first person in my family to attend college by earning a scholarship to the University of Chicago. After graduating with honors, I was accepted to Harvard Law School. With the help of a lot of caring people in my village, throughout my career, I have been able to start my own law firm, a nonprofit organization, and a digital mental health company; plus, write four books — including a national bestseller — and have a successful career in the media as a talk show host and commentator.
Most recently, as a civil rights attorney, I’ve applied the passion of my work to serving as the lead attorney for Palm Springs Section 14, representing more than 700 survivors and descendants of Palm Springs. These are Black and brown people who had their homes and property burned and razed by the city of Palm Springs in the 1950s and 1960s. As a result of the targeted racial attacks and the bulldozing and burning out of their community, my clients suffered severe trauma, loss of their homes and valuable personal property. But most importantly, they were deprived of the opportunity to pass down assets and create generational wealth. The estimated loss of Section 14 is valued at $2 billion dollars!
You might be familiar with stories like the race riots of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Well, it turns out that we have our own version of Tulsa right in Palm Springs. And the city managed to keep that history quiet for decades. Now, I have the privilege of representing the victims and their families in their quest to be made whole through reparations. Through the process, I have become close with several women who, like my godmother and grandmother, awe me with their strength and perseverance.
Furthermore, I am a prolific writer. My opinion pieces on racial and gender equity, leadership, success principles, mentorship and disability rights are read regularly by millions. I have written hundreds of articles and op-ed pieces for publications, including USA Today, Ebony, CNN.com and Thrive Global. My writings have appeared on the front pages and featured in such publications as Power, Forbes, Redbook, Essence, Gladys, Sheen, Ebony, Gazelle and CEO Mom. Magazines – just to name a few.
In addition, I have been recognized for my service and philanthropy in the community. I have received more than 100 leadership, business, nonprofit and media awards and commendations, including the L’Oreal Paris’ Women of Worth Award, the California Black Caucus Leadership Award, the Los Angeles County Women of the Year Award, Ford’s Living Legend Award, the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, the National Medical Fellowships Champions of Health Award and the Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Lawyer of the Year Award.
In 2022, I was identified as one of the 100 Most Influential Blacks in the country and inducted into the Know Your Legacy Virtual Black History Museum as a leading Black changemaker. It was also a great honor for me to receive the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis in front of friends and family. It’s truly an honor that I share with such icons such as civil rights leader Xernona Clayton and gospel music great Shirley Caesar.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to justice is never an easy one, and representing the victims of Palm Springs Section 14 is no exception. From day one, these families had their cards stacked against them — such as the local media, which for decades participated in the silencing and erasure of the victims and their stories despite a criminal investigation by the state attorney general’s office, which concluded the destruction of Section 14 was a “city-engineered holocaust.”
Getting the real story and the actual facts out has been difficult, even with all the documentation. But these families are tenacious, and so am I! It has been incredibly gratifying to finally see their truths come to light and to be a part of that process.
We’ve been impressed with Martin & Martin LLP, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I could never have imagined that a little girl from the wrong side of the tracks in St. Louis would go on to open one of the largest Black-owned law firms in Los Angeles. My firm, Martin & Martin, LLP, consists of experienced trial attorneys and litigators who have successfully represented hundreds of clients in federal and state court. I have consistently been recognized as a California Super Lawyer, a determination for the top five percent of attorneys in California. I have had the privilege of representing women who have been sexually harassed in the workplace; students with disabilities who have been discriminated against and abused in school settings; individuals who have been brutalized and had their rights violated by police; as well as involved in high-profile lawsuits that have resulted in recovering millions of dollars for my clients. My firm continues to represent victims in civil rights cases, including race, age and sex discrimination, school bullying and discrimination, personal injury and wrongful death, police brutality and matters involving the violations of individual rights.
In addition, as an on-air legal analyst with CNN and ABC’s Good Morning America and a radio talk show host on KBLA Talk 1580, I am able to use my media platform to bring media attention and awareness to legal matters, assist in creating grassroots campaigns and generate broad-spread public support for clients and victims. In my practice, I use the media to highlight injustices and drive systemic change at the state and federal levels.
On my daily radio primetime show, “Areva Martin in Real Time” on KBLA Talk 1580, I routinely address today’s most pressing legal news and provide expert analysis on the most significant legal matters of the day. I’ve also produced and hosted more than 350 episodes of my streaming, award-winning current affairs talk show, called “The Special Report With Areva Martin,” which nabbed an Anthem Award and two coveted Telly Awards. I also co-hosted the Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show, “The Doctors” and the CBS syndicated show, “Face the Truth.”
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Just do it! I believe that putting your head down and just doing the work are the most important factors in moving past times of self-doubt or the negative voices that come into play — whether they are in your head or coming from critics on the outside.
As a student at Harvard Law School, I was privileged to be a student of Charles J. Ogletree Jr., the iconic and celebrated law professor and civil rights attorney who took on one of the first reparations cases and took it all the way to the Supreme Court, despite the challenges it presented. What mattered to him was fighting hard for what was right. He is now dealing with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, yet his legacy continues to grow, and I think of him often in my work, representing the Section 14 Palm Springs survivors and descendants.
Finding inspiration in the work of others is very important in difficult times like these. I am hopeful when I see the activism of Millennials and Gen Z. They are often criticized for being entitled and self-absorbed, but I have found the opposite is true. There are incredible examples of activists who are breaking barriers and leading on important issues from homelessness to gun violence. I admire Millennial leaders like Sade Elhawary, a community organizer and former member of Mayor Karen Bass’ campaign team who is running for California State Assembly; activists and Tennessee House Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who fought so hard to retake the seats they’d been elected to then torn away from them simply because they gave a voice to young people who were protesting gun violence; and I applaud my own daughters, Michael and Morgan Martin, who are the first African American siblings to attend together, the JD/MBA program at Columbia University in New York City. My daughters are committed to expanding our family business and teaching others how to build generational wealth. This upcoming generation of leaders cares deeply about the direction of this country, and — like me — they are determined to be part of the solution. All these young people inspire me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://arevamartin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arevamartin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arevamartin
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/areva-martin-8871236/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArevaMartin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArevaMartin
- Other: https://www.martin-martin.net
Image Credits
PHOTO CREDIT: Photos by Robin Marshall for Section 14
