Martha Wright Barnes Foundation

Mrs. Martha Wright Barnes, born January 12, 1936 on Linden Street, located in the Fourth Ward neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, has always been most passionate about the continuous pursuit of education. An avid reader and conscientious student, Martha excelled in the primary school grades. Upon graduating in the top 5% from David T. Howard High School in 1953, Martha entered Clark College (Atlanta, GA) at the tender age of 16. Keeping in line with her unquenchable thirst for knowledge, after graduating Magna Cum Laude from Clark College in 1957, Martha went on to receive a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Atlanta University.

Dedicating more than 40 years of her life as a teacher in the Atlanta Public Schools System, Mrs. Barnes experienced numerous years with award winning recognition as Teacher of the Year. Designated as one of the teachers to pilot the first middle school in Atlanta, Sammye E. Coan Middle, Mrs. Barnes has impacted hundreds of students, particularly in the area of mathematics. Upon retirement, no matter where she would travel in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area, Martha would often be stopped by a former student, expressing love and appreciation for having experienced one of the best math teachers in their academic matriculation.

Mrs. Barnes passed away peacefully on the morning of February 14, 2018. The Martha Wright Barnes Scholarship Foundation is being established to continue the legacy of a charismatic, courageous, civic leader who spent a lifetime, fiercely preserving and protecting the value of receiving a quality education. It is the desire of the foundation to present 3 annual academic scholarships to a high school student who demonstrates financial need, produces stellar character references, possesses traits of servant leadership, and wishes to attend Martha’s alma mater, Clark Atlanta University. Please honor the legacy of a phenomenal educator by donating to the Martha Wright Barnes Scholarship Foundation.