Zahilay awards Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service to Donnitta Sinclair Martin

June 13, 2023

King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay on Tuesday awarded Donnitta Sinclair Martin with the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service, an award that recognizes individuals whose work has answered the question asked by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “What are you doing for others?”

King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay on Tuesday awarded Donnitta Sinclair Martin with the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service, an award that recognizes individuals whose work has answered the question asked by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “What are you doing for others?”

Sinclair Martin is a Seattle Native raised in the Central District and Rainier Vista who, in the wake of traumatic and painful experiences, has dedicated to her life to ending gun violence, promoting community safety, and supporting those who have lost loved ones to violence.

“Donnitta Sinclair took one of the darkest moments of any mother’s life and used her pain as fuel for change,” Zahilay said. “She created a space for mothers who lost their children to gun violence, and has worked tirelessly to advocate for healing and for action to end gun violence. She fully embodies Dr. King’s call to service for others, and is more than deserving of this award.”

In June 2020, during the wake of the uprising across the world following the murder of George Floyd, Sinclair Martin lost her 19-year-old son, Horace Lorenzo Anderson, to gun violence. Through her pain, fear, and anger, she has been given the strength to become a voice of the voiceless — the mothers who have lost their children to gun violence.

In 2021, she started We Got Us Moms, LLC, by gathering with other women who had lost their children to gun violence. The organization’s mission is to support, serve, uplift, and collaborate with mothers and community partners to help end the disease of gun violence. We Got Us Moms works to prevent violence and crime, help reduce the number of people incarcerated, and, through education, curb repeated acts of gun violence in their community.

Donnitta has spent her entire adult life focused on giving back to the community. She has worked to end homelessness and support behavioral health care through organizations like Catholic Community Services. She has also been active in youth services, working with Seattle Public Schools to uplift, support, and bring services to youth. She has also worked with organizations like Africatown and People of Color Against Aids Network (POCAAN). Donnitta’s life is dedicated to service to her community in her son’s name.

Sinclair Martin graduated from the Seattle Vocational Institute. She was a teen mother at age 16, and is now a mother of three and grandmother of one.

This marks the eighth year that councilmembers have each selected someone from their district whose work embodies the spirit of King’s question.