2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 86
Celebrating the life of Mattie L. Palmore.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 2, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, February 5, 2026
WHEREAS, Mattie L. Palmore, a passionate advocate for victims of domestic abuse and a local icon in Gum Springs who helped build a stronger, more equitable community, died on October 30, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Mattie Palmore grew up in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Dunbar Senior High School in 1966; she held numerous jobs in the area and was an active volunteer who planned community events and supported young people through programs at the Thomas Payne Recreation Center; and
WHEREAS, in 1982, Mattie Palmore and her children relocated to Gum Springs, where she initially worked at the Gum Springs Community Center, then became director of the Gum Springs Senior Center, and later served as director of a program supporting homeless families at Good Shepherd Housing; she served on the Gum Springs Advisory Board, the New Gum Springs Civic Association, and the local branch of the NAACP, advancing programs that supported women, children, and families; and
WHEREAS, in the mid-1990s, Mattie Palmore made history as one of the first Black women appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia as a magistrate in Fairfax County, in which capacity she served the community with integrity and compassion; and
WHEREAS, Mattie Palmore's willingness to share stories of her own experience with domestic violence helped other women seek assistance and find healing, which ultimately inspired her to take a more active role in domestic violence advocacy; she cofounded the Mount Vernon Women's Group to provide resources for women facing abuse and worked with county officials to establish a women's shelter in Mount Vernon known as Artemis House; and