Terrence Martin, Sr.

Terrence Martin is the president of AFT Michigan, a union of 35,000 educators and healthcare providers working in K-12 and intermediate school districts, community colleges, universities and hospitals across the state.

From 2018 to 2023, Martin served as president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, a union committed to providing Detroit’s students and their families with safe, thriving and welcoming public schools. Before being elected as president, Martin served as the DFT’s executive vice president. An outspoken advocate for social, educational and economic justice in Detroit, Martin has spent the past decade fighting for students, educators and the community. He is a native of Detroit and attended its public schools.

Martin began his advocacy as a second-grade teacher at John Lynch Elementary School on the east side of Detroit, where he became a building representative. His activism led him to the elected role of treasurer of the DFT. After serving as treasurer for several years, Martin held a variety of staff capacities at the DFT, including labor relations administrator, community engagement coordinator and political action director. Martin was instrumental in reshaping how the DFT organizes and mobilizes its membership, parents and the community.

In addition to his union leadership roles, Martin also serves on the Michigan Education Justice Coalition, the 13th Congressional District Democratic Committee, and Michigan’s Black Leadership Advisory Council created by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Martin received his master’s degree in teaching from Marygrove College in Detroit. He is also a graduate of Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

Martin is an athlete who played high school, college and semi-professional basketball. He is an active member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the proud father of a son who graduated from the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

January 2025