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I have to be involved.”
– Evelyn Reid Syphax
From Evelyn Reid Syphax, to Dorothy Hamm boldly tackling the question “Why can’t I?”, to social champion and “mental-health-loving mother of three” Mary A. Marshall, trailblazing women have been shaping Arlington (and beyond) for generations.
As you’ll see in the lives, legacies, and light of the women below, that trailblazing spirit will continue to shape our communities for generations to come.
If you’re looking to be more involved in community-shaping work, we invite you to consider joining the Arlington Women Community Builders. Contact Christy Cole to learn more and get connected.
– Angela Davis
Educator and Co-Founder of Challenging Racism
46-year Arlington resident, Martha (Marty) Swaim is the co-founder of Challenging Racism (CR), a local nonprofit dedicated to empowering, inspiring, and giving individuals the tools to disrupt systemic racism where they find it. Now in its 20th anniversary year, CR has expanded its services to a variety of community groups. Marty retired as the unpaid director in 2020.
Prior to co-founding CR, Marty spent her “first career” in public education.
Youth, Affordable Housing, and Black History Advocate
Portia has been a community organizer and advocate, particularly for youth, for three decades. She helped change the name of the Nauck neighborhood to Green Valley, which was significant to its residents and the Arlington community; and was very involved in the Four Mile Run Valley Area Plan and the Jennie Dean Park renovation.
Humanitarian, Author, and Mental Health Advocate
Drawing on her own personal and professional experiences, Dimple launched Roots in the Clouds in 2021 with the mission of creating sustainable cultures of equity, connection, belonging and well-being for those working in the service of others. Through coaching, training, and facilitation, she challenges the narrative of “service before self” and works with organizations to “imagine what might be possible if we could serve other humans without sacrificing our own mental health and well-being.” Dimple expands on these possibilities in her book released in 2024.
– Gina Carey –
Change Agent and Capacity Builder
Jeanne’s role as a change agent, capacity builder, and board member in the Arlington community has had profound benefits for many nonprofit organizations including – but not limited to – Culpepper Garden (Chair), the Leadership Center of Arlington (Alumni and Class Ambassador), Advance Arlington – formerly the Arlington Committee of 100 (Chair), and Northern VA Womenade (Co-Founder).
Cold War Negotiator and Music Lover
Roz made history as an Ambassador, Assistant Secretary of State, and negotiator at the Reagan-Gorbachev summits. In an audio story, Roz shares what it was like to be “the first and only woman” in the room – from negotiation tables to corporate boards – and how her career, love of music, and love for her late husband will continue to make history through her legacy fund at the Community Foundation.
Equity in Arts Champion
With free family events, ticketed performances, and specialized programs specifically targeting under-served audiences, Lucy and Bowen McCauley Dance Company (BMDC) have educated, entertained, and inspired people from Arlington, the region, and nationally for 25 seasons. For years, Lucy has provided weekly “Dance for PD” classes for people with Parkinson’s Disease and their care-partners.
– Helen Keller –
Church Clerk and Voting Access Advocate
Florence served as Church Clerk for historic Mount Zion Baptist Church for 35 years as well as Secretary of the Arlington View (formerly Johnson Hill) Civic Association for 40 years. During this time, she collaborated with the NAACP in the 1960’s to address segregation in the school system, disseminated information on local issues and candidates running for local office, and volunteered at the voting polls for over 20 years.
Ordinary People Doing the Extraordinary
For over 60 years, Almeta and Benjamin Martin faithfully loved each other, their churches, and their neighbors in Johnson’s Hill (now Arlington View). In passing, their love culminated in an act of “radical generosity”: a bequest to Mt. Olive Baptist Church that will uplift students for generations to come, through a scholarship designed for “all children”, not just those attending a traditional college or university.
– Malala Yousafzai
Finding Strength and Connection in Challenges
Kathy Cameron started a scholarship fund with the Community Foundation in honor of her late husband Tony, saying, “This would be the perfect way to honor his passion of helping young people with disabilities on their career paths.”
As a recipient of the scholarship, Zoè Davis said, “This scholarship validates my voice – disabled-LGBTQ+ voices – and I hope to pay it forward as I make my way in the world.”
High Schoolers Making a Difference
The core of the Arlington Youth Philanthropy Initiative (AYPI) is a Youth Board of students from area high schools who are committed to making a difference in Arlington. These teens recruit and mentor peers to develop sustainable ventures that make a positive impact. The AYPI Youth Board makes decisions on grants to fund these youth-initiated projects and works to preserve and grow the Fund for Youth Philanthropy. Arlington Youth Philanthropy Initiative (AYPI) is offers grants for sustainable, youth-led projects that make a difference in the community.
Co-Chair of the Arlington Women Community Builders
Since moving to Arlington 5 years ago, Kiely and her family have continued to “expand our connections, giving, impact, and involvement in ways that I didn’t think were possible before Arlington Community Foundation.” From the Nonprofit Wish Catalog to co-chairing the Arlington Women Community Builders, Kiely shows us how you can “make an impact at any level,” even in a way she previously thought was just for the “mega rich.”
I have to be involved.”
