Martin was an activist who volunteered with the Model Cities Neighborhood Residences Association and was a strong advocate for health care for the disadvantaged. She was a social worker for Planned Parenthood, active in the NAACP, and the Frederick Douglas Community Center.

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As a result of her years of effort, the Cordelia Martin Health Care Center opened in 1971 on Nebraska Ave. She was described as" The Rosa Parks of Health Care in Toledo".

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