Public service is Ashanti Martinez’s life

By Kelvin Childs

Public service is baked into Ashanti Martinez’s (’18, B.A.) life and career.

Martinez, a Democrat, is a member of the Maryland state House of Delegates in the 22nd District, which covers Prince George’s County. He was appointed to a vacancy in the House in 2023 after coming up short in two previous runs.

In December, Maryland House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk appointed him majority whip, meaning Martinez has the responsibility of enforcing party discipline, keeping count of how many members will vote on pending legislation, and ensuring the members appear for the vote.

Martinez credits his time at Howard with honing his lifelong ambitions in public service, which began while he was in high school lobbying in the Maryland capital for issues affecting his neighbors. 

“Howard University gave me the tools necessary to navigate the halls of power. The lessons I learned serving in the Howard University Student Association Senate, the Freshman [now BISON] Leadership Academy, working as a resident assistant, and in the classroom prepared me to lead my community in Annapolis,” Martinez said.

Martinez has been an intern for the late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings and the recently retired Steny Hoyer, who twice was U.S. House majority leader. Martinez also was an aide to the Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus and a policy analyst for CASA, an immigrant and Latino advocacy organization.

“Whether you donate your time or your treasure, the students at Howard University are worth the investment. As an alum, we uniquely understand how successfully navigating The Mecca means you can successfully navigate the world,” Martinez said.

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