2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Civil Rights Attorney Areva Martin

December 1, 2025

Areva Martin, a prominent civil rights attorney and president of the Special Needs Network, reflects on her work in 2025 and plans for 2026. Her nonprofit recently helped establish a new Medicaid benefit in California that enables foster children with behavioral health needs to access treatment by allowing care providers to become certified Medicaid participants. Martin continued advocating for reparations following her firm's landmark $27 million settlement for Black and Brown Palm Springs residents, which has become a template for similar efforts statewide.

Who is affected

Foster care children in California with behavioral health needs
Black and Brown residents of Palm Springs (who received the $27 million settlement)
Individuals across the autism spectrum
Black Californians facing hostility and attacks on civil rights
Black women who felt deflated after the election
People with disabilities
Descendants of slavery in California

What action is being taken

Special Needs Network is expanding into San Diego
Martin's daughter is taking the California Bar exam
Martin is working on intergenerational projects with her two daughters
Martin continues lifting her voice and staying in the fight for civil rights
The new Medicaid benefit for foster children's behavioral health treatment has been implemented

Why it matters

The new Medicaid benefit addresses a critical gap that previously made it nearly impossible for foster children in California to receive necessary behavioral health treatment, affecting millions of individuals statewide. The Palm Springs reparations settlement serves as a precedent and model for reparations efforts for descendants of slavery across California and the United States. Martin's work raises awareness about critical issues affecting Black Californians, including attacks on DEI initiatives, civil rights statutes, and Black cultural institutions, while the current political climate has created an environment of hostility toward Black communities.

What's next

Expansion of Special Needs Network into San Diego
One daughter awaiting California Bar admission results
Intergenerational projects with both daughters in the special needs network space

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint