Uncrowned Community Builders

At the turn of the twentieth century Martha Ford was among the black club women in Buffalo who advocated for the rights of blacks. She was married to Cornelius Ford, a successful businessman who moved to Buffalo in 1906. The Fords were married on August 10, 1911 according to an announcement in the August 10, 1911 edition of the New York Age. They had one child, Cornelius, Jr.

Mr. Ford was a prominent livestock dealer who was the only black member of the Buffalo Livestock Association. Armour and Company, the world's largest meat packing company at the time, was one of Ford's customers.

Mrs. Ford was active in the Buffalo Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was the first president of that organization's Women's Auxiliary. That group established three committees: Education, Fundraising, and Entertainment. These committees organized cultural events, baby contests, beauty pageants, and other projects to raise funds and the visibility of the NAACP in the city. Mrs. Ford was also a founder of the Douglass Club of Colored Women as well as The Dames. The Dames was organized to provide its members with activities centered on cards and social/cultural activities.

Mrs. Ford died on January 24, 1936, and is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery.